Obliterate
by The Emerald Shapeshifter
Summary: [Sequel to Thanks for the Memories] When the team finally returns to normal, everything is back as it should be...until an unspeakable evil is released... Its name is Obliterate... And that is exactly what it plans to do. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: Nothing Is Okay

**Obliterate**

**A SRMTHFG Fanfiction**

* * *

Sequel to Thanks for the Memories.

* * *

After all they'd been through it had to end like this...

When the team finally returns to normal, everything is back as it should be...until an unspeakable evil is released... Its name is Obliterate.

And that is exactly what it plans to do.

* * *

_I'm aiming this to be my greatest Fanfiction of all time (hopefully). Muahaha... More action, more secrets...more killings._

_**You…were…warned. I'm serious. This time, I'm not kidding. Very few mushy moments, no Mary Sues, and much…more…destruction. YOU WERE WARNED.**_

* * *

**Prologue: Nothing Is Okay**

Far away from Shuggazoom, there lay a planet. This planet was shrouded with darkness, despite the sun's efforts to shine upon its land. This planet defied the sun, naturally.

The surface of the planet was still, if not lifeless. Nothing ever moved, because nothing ever dared to.

Red eyes in the far shadows watched a lone figure as it strode along an ancient and long-forgotten pathway, to an unseeable objective. Strange, echoing giggles rang out, asking questions.

_Where are you going?_

_Who do you wish to seek?_

_Do you dare defy the Shadow Lord?_

The figure kept walking. The path opened to a field, and dissipated. The figure kept on going, unfazed by the lack of guidance.

_Where are you going?_

_Who do you wish to seek?_

The person, again, ignored the tiny, squeaking voices as they rang in its ears. It finally reached what it knew to be its goal. It looked like an ancient temple; no doors, just pillars holding the roof up, stairs leading to a pedestal in the center.

_Do you _dare_ defy the Shadow Lord?_

The figure marched up the stairs, unaffected by the icy chill that had enveloped the air around the temple.

_You have set your death,_ a deeper voice said.

The figure approached the pedestal in the center. There, in a small crevice, was a black stone. It was probably twice as big as a chicken egg. It was solid black, but see through. It pulsed with dark energy, chilling the hand of the figure as it picked the stone up.

"The Shadow Stronghold," the figure whispered, its voice hissing. "At long last, we meet."

The stone pulsed harder.

The figure closed its eyes and concentrated. "I have come too far for you to defy me. You will do as I command. Release him."

No response.

Giggles rang out from the darkness.

_The Stronghold only responds to the Shadow Lord._

"The Demon inside begs for release," the figure said, finally acknowledging the voices. "Can you not hear…the screams of hate it releases?"

The voices still laughed.

_Demon inside has no feelings._

_Demon inside only created to destroy and kill._

The figure smiled, though none could see it in the shadows. "Then kill it shall."

A hand was held up, blazing with pink light, revealing the face of the deceased Skeleton Queen, Velina.

"Too long have I awaited the chance for revenge," she said. "Too long have the Hyperforce mocked me, ridiculed me, and ruined me. No more." She threw up the stone. "Release the Obliteration!"

She shot a beam of powerful energy at the stone. It resisted the power for a moment, before finally shattering with a pulse of black energy.

A cloud of black smoke poured out, like a genie from a lamp. It floated in front of Velina, before finally taking on a formless shape. It glared with gleaming red eyes.

"You will do as I command, Demon," Velina ordered of this shadow. "I have freed you, and so you will obey your new Master."

The shadow floated down obediently. Its arms were about as long as its body, with four stubby fingers. It had no legs, only a ghostly tail. Its red eyes stared at Velina murderously.

Velina held up her hand. "The Hyperforce. Do not destroy them. Make them run. Make them run from the planet they love. And leave nowhere left for them to hide."

The ghost smiled—an evil grin with pointed teeth, like a vampire's. They were tainted red…

It then flew off, leaving its master alone on the Shadow World…

* * *

Well, there ya go. The Shadows Hold Secrets…

I would have called the Shadow Stronghold by its original name, the Shadow Keystone, but that would be copywriting _**The Seventh Tower**_ book series, by Garth Nix. I don't want to do that.

Please review. I really like reveiws.

And don't expect my usual updates. I want this to be near-perfect. I'll update Memoirs every now and then, no doubt about that, and my other Ben 10 fic. But this one takes time...


	2. First Meetings

**Obliterate**

* * *

Well, here's Chapter Two! Please review! This is actually pretty long, for me, but enjoy in nonetheless. I want really good reviews, and tell me what you thought.

I noticed I've been just plain giving up several Fanfictions. I'm sorry for this, but I won't be deleting this one. You can bet on it.

If otherwise you can sick your OCs on me. :D

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Two: First Meetings**

Chiro winced as Gibson wrapped his arms in fresh gauze. It had been not long after his return, and the blue monkey insisted on giving Chiro a medical check-up. Chiro didn't want one, saying he could take care of himself, but his wounds had recently re-opened, forcing him into the check-up.

He winced again as the blue simian wrapped his torso, the bandages completely covering his chest.

Gibson looked at him peculiarly, and Chiro met his gaze. "What?"

"How did you get that scar on your eye?" Gibson asked.

"I told you," Chiro snapped. "That dragon. Remember? It nearly killed me; it clawed at my eye. I had to shield my face with my arms. Argh!"

"Sorry." Gibson finished wrapping his torso, and stood back, like an artist studying a newly-completed masterpiece.

"How do you feel, Chiro?"

"Stiff," was his answer.

"Well, you're a lot more built than last time we saw you, three years ago," Gibson agreed, nodding. "You've been training, Antauri said?"

"Yeah," Chiro said, his head bobbing up and down. Before Gibson could ask anything further, Chiro got off the Sick Bay table and trotted out of the room.

* * *

Wariness. 

That's what occupied all their minds during the first few weeks as a team again. All of them were wary of each other, though they still tried to become a team like they were before. They had spent three years apart; things were bound to still be bitter between them.

But, in all, they were wary of Chiro.

He was a different person. His blue crystal eyes were always distant; and there was always something important on his mind. His movements around the Robot were slow, but he barely left his room. Although, for some reason, he never _slept_ in his room. In the middle of the night, one of the monkeys would always find him sleeping in either the hallway outside his room, leaning up against the metal wall, or in the main room, on top of his globe-like chair. No one knew what was wrong because he was barely talking anymore. What happened to the happy-go-lucky, cheery, amusing fourteen-year-old they once knew?

Oh, _him_? He was replaced by this smart, cunning, and powerful seventeen-year-old man.

He was still the same, in ways. He stayed on his training schedule, as usual. But his schedule was at a random. He would either be meditating, fighting, or practicing with more advanced Power Primate abilities.

He would also routinely be caught playing video games in the main room. He would sit there in a daze, staring at the screen, his fingers hitting the controls rapid-fire.

He was like having a wild animal in the Super Robot: Unpredictable, and dangerous.

"Chiro?"

Chiro jumped from his pacing in his room when he heard the muffled voice beyond the door. He slowly walked over and opened it.

Jinmay stepped into the room before Chiro could say no. She turned around to face Chiro. "We need to talk."

"Okay," Chiro said. "About what?"

"What's wrong with you? You've been so isolated from us ever since you came back. No one has been able to talk to you."

"I'm just not used to this, is all," Chiro said quietly, looking at his hands. "I've been living alone for a long time—"

"But sleeping in the hallway? What's that about?"

"I sleep on the floor."

"Why don't you start sleeping on the bed?"

"I'm not used to it!"

Now Chiro was yelling. Jinmay backed away, hurt, and said, "You've changed."

With that, she left.

But before she could get anywhere, Chiro grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

"I'm sorry, Jinmay," he whispered. "It's just...hard."

And he let her go and backed off, turning around and jumping onto his bed. He looked up at Jinmay, until she finally turned around and left once more.

* * *

The ghost owned no conscious thought. The only thing on its mind was the order given to it by its mistress: Attack and disown the Hyperforce. Leave no place left for them to hide. 

But after that, what would happen? The ghost would be free of its debt of honor, and be able to do whatever it wanted. Unless the witch was more powerful than it, which was unlikely...

It shook its head, ridding its mind of the thoughts. No thinking, it reminded itself. Attack and disown, it knew, was its mission.

After that, it would kill and destroy, as it was created to do.

* * *

Chiro's eyes snapped open. He had fallen asleep. The bed _was_ comfortable. 

He got up, wincing as his muscles cried in protest. He stretched his back, despite the pain. He looked around his room. They had cleaned it not long after his return, so there were no layers of dust covering everything. He hadn't been in this room for years; he was a little uncomfortable in it.

He paced a little, before deciding to move his legs a little. He left his room and ran to the main room. Just before he got to his orange transport tube, a voice spoke.

"Where are you going?"

Chiro whirled around, coming face-to-face with Antauri. The silver monkey had an emotionless face, and his arms crossed. He looked at Chiro intently.

"Out," Chiro said simply. He hadn't talked to Antauri much since his return.

"Where?" Antauri questioned, his head slightly tilted to the side. "Are you going to come back?"

Chiro let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, Antauri, I am."

With that, he stepped into his tube. But nothing happened. He hit the side with the palm of his hand. "What's up with this thing?"

"It doesn't work unless I say so," Antauri said. "We are not going to let you leave ever again."

"I'm not going to!" Chiro yelled. The force of his voice actually caused the silver monkey to take a step back. "I can't, because I have nowhere else to go!"

With that, he closed his eyes. With a flash of green light, he vanished.

Antauri walked into the tube. "Chiro!" he called.

"Antauri?"

Antauri turned around to see Sparx standing behind him, a helpless look on his face. "I think you always forget that he's not a kid anymore. He's mastered the Power Primate."

With that, Sparx turned and left.

Antauri shook his head. "I'm going after him."

* * *

Chiro walked slowly down the streets, his hands jammed into his pockets, staying in the shadows. He kicked a rock that was in the middle of the street, watching as it banged into a trash can, making a metal clanging sound. 

He looked around, making sure no one was watching him. He approached a street lamp, looking up at the trio group of lights. He jumped up and grabbed onto the middle one, and it bent, dropping him back to the ground.

The sidewalk under him gave way, like a trap door opening, causing him to fall through. A slide-like contraption was under him, sending him spiraling down a secret shaft. After a few seconds, he finally landed on solid ground.

In the Shadow Underpass.

Shuggazoom gangs used to use this route to smuggle illegal goods around the city, until it was discovered by the Hyperforce. They found it during the time when Ma and Pa Sinco were discovered to be the leaders of the Skeletal Circle. Now, the place was deserted.

Chiro entered what he called the Skull Chamber. It was the place where the Skeleton King's throne was long ago, and where his Skull was during the curse.

He was surprised to see...something...there. It looked like a ghost, but not any ghost he had ever seen. It glared at him hatefully.

"I understand you are the leader of the team known as the Hyperforce," the ghost said, its voice whispery (imagine Ghostfreak from Ben 10, only deeper).

"Who are you?" Chiro demanded, his stance becoming closer to that of attack.

"You are not worthy of knowing my title, boy." The ghost flew slightly into the air and glowered.

Chiro glared right back.

"I grow weary of this," the ghost sighed. "My master is impatient."

"Who sent you?" Chiro yelled.

* * *

Antauri wandered down the street, following the scanner he had borrowed from Gibson. He had located Chiro's position, and was now on the move. 

"Why is he all the way out here?"

He stopped. He was right at the point that the scanner said Chiro was. He looked around. No sign of anything living was apparent. A slight breeze blew across the street, taking a piece of paper with it.

Then, he realized that he _was_ in the right spot.

Or, actually, he was _above_ it.

But it was too late to comprehend this, as the ground suddenly blew up, right beneath him.

* * *

Chiro accompanied the rocks that blew out of the ceiling. He should have sensed the surprise attack from that ghost. It was only common sense. Ghosts were never good. 

He was also surprised to see Antauri, lying on the ground. He was propped up on his hands, giving Chiro a look of surprise and confusion.

"What happened, Chiro?" he asked.

His answer came in the form of a black cloud of mist rising up from the ground. It wrapped around him, engulfing the silver monkey. He began to suffocate.

"Leave him alone!" Chiro yelled. He got into a fighting stance. "Monkey Fu!"

The bright blast of energy slammed into the ghost, and it shrieked and released Antauri, who fell to the asphalt, gasping for air.

The ghost took on form again, and dove from the sky, straight at Chiro. He did a back flip, dodging it, watching as it phased through the ground.

Chiro looked around. He yelped as the ghost rose up under him, wrapping its body around his torso, restraining him.

A flash of green light surrounded him, and he vanished, causing the ghost to coil around itself.

It looked around. It saw as the human appeared next to the fallen silver monkey and grabbed him, teleporting away once more.

The ghost smiled. "Someday, boy. Someday."

* * *

Chiro appeared in front of the Super Robot, holding a winded Antauri. He set the silver simian on the ground. "Antauri, you okay?" 

Antauri grimaced. "I am fine..." he muttered. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Teleport."

"The Power Primate," Chiro answered simply, shrugging.

He opened the door in the Super Robot's right foot, and Antauri followed him inside. Antauri persisted him for more information.

"But how? The Power Primate can't do that—"

"Antauri." Chiro turned around and looked straight into the blue eyes of the silver monkey. "I've been training for the last three years. All with the Power Primate, all the time, every second of the day. Do you think I don't know what it's capable of? Are you calling me stupid?"

"No, Chiro, hardly at all," Antauri said, backing off. "I was just wondering."

Chiro smiled a little. "That's okay. Maybe, one day, _I_ can teach _you_."

Antauri stared for a moment before returning the smile. "I'd like that."

* * *

The Hyperforce was alerted of the danger. The ghost had not appeared, though, in days. Everything was slowly going back to normal. 

Well, if you could that the team was still unstable with each other normal.

Chiro was walking in the hallway, towards a random destination, when he was confronted once again.

He was tackled by something. Something so strong, it held him down on the cold metal floor and refused to let him up.

"You left us." The anger-filled voice of Nova hissed into his ear. "You left us here to fend for the city ourselves. You betrayed us, Chiro. I trusted you." She held him down tighter. "Now it'll take a long time to get that trust back."

"Nova?" Chiro asked incredulously. "Why—"

"No, you listen to me." She put a hand on his head, forcing his head to stay on the floor so he couldn't see her. He realized she was using her giant golden fists, and her body was what was holding him down. "How could you? Even if you had a valid reason, you had no right to leave us with nothing!"

"You had everything you had before you even met me!" Chiro yelled back, his voice muffled by the floor. "You had the Super Robot, each other, Jinmay… And Shuggazoom! —What were you missing?"

"We didn't have a leader!" Nova pressed his head down harder. "We all looked to Antauri for support, and he upped and left as well! You both betrayed us, and so I left! All I had left was Otto and Sparx." She moved to growl in his ear. "We...had...nothing. We lost it all when you left. I can't believe you would be so heartless."

"I can't believe you could be so hopeless," Chiro retorted.

Nova blinked. Then, angrily, she jammed her knee into his back, causing him to wince.

"How could you even—"

Suddenly, she was flipped. Chiro twisted his body in a way thought impossible, and he ended up holding Nova down by the wrists, glaring at her.

"Maybe this isn't me," he said softly, despite the situation. "Maybe there's something else...to you. You always believed in me, through thick and thin, through everything we've been through together. I always trusted you, and you always trusted me." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "When did you finally lose hope?"

She blinked again. All her anger melted away as she listened to his words.

"There are two possible answers," Chiro continued. "Maybe you just broke down, and totally 'lost it all', like you said before." He got up and stood above her, yet she made no attempt to stand. He kneeled down and held a hand out to her. "Or, maybe, you just had no hope at all."

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. Without a second glance, he turned and walked back in the direction he had been going in, whistling.

Nova watching him go. She thought about what he had said.

Did she lose it all when he left? Or did she never have hope?

She blinked once more when she realized that he had never answered the question. She walked off towards her room, to ponder _her_ answer.

* * *

Oh, man, you thought Nova was mad in _Thanks for the Memories_? Well, this is her anger, truly, at Chiro for leaving. More will be revealed for all the others. Now, at least Chiro and Antauri have reached an understanding, however small. When Nova figures out the answer to Chiro's unspoken question, maybe they'll reach a level of understanding as well.

Oh well. Nothing is definite now. Just you wait. The fun's only began.

**_Review and stay tuned for Chapter Three!_**


	3. Return of the Skeletal Circle

**Obliterate**

**Chapter Three: Return of the Skeletal Circle**

* * *

Sunlight poured through the window in Chiro's room, lighting up the large space. It landed on the bed. 

Chiro's eyes slowly opened. He slowly sat up, noticing his surroundings. _How did I get in the bed?_ he wondered.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed. He sat there for a moment, before saying, "Antauri? Why are you in my room?"

Antauri stepped out from behind the bed, looking upset...and humored. He smiled. "How did you know I was there?"

"Just like you can sense me or one of the others," Chiro answered. "Now no one can hide from me!" He did a fake evil laugh. Antauri smiled.

He got up. "What time is it?"

"Around 9:00," the silver monkey responded.

Chiro glanced at him, seeing Antauri's questioning gaze. "What?"

"What happened between you and Nova? I know it had to be you, because none of the others spoke to her. She's been in her room all yesterday and through the night."

"Sleeping?" Chiro suggested meekly, shrugging.

Antauri frowned. "Chiro..."

"That's between me and her, Antauri," Chiro said sharply, his eyes flashing. "If she wants to tell you, she will. I honor her privacy, so I won't tell."

With that, he left, leaving Antauri alone to ponder his words.

* * *

Deep underground, even further down that the Shadow Underpass, twenty people shuffled along noiselessly, towards an unseen destination. They wore blood red capes with hoods that barely covered their eyes. They chanted in an ancient language, calling for demons. 

As they reached a centerpiece room, one with a pedestal in the center of a small pond, the chanting abruptly stopped. Each human looked up expectantly, revealing their faces.

The Skeletal Circle had returned, from the grave of despair.

A cloud of smoke billowed for from the ground, taking shape. The two red eyes glowered noiselessly at each of the humans, all of whom were on their knees, hands placed flat on the ground in front of them, in submission.

"Why have you all come here?" the ghost demanded, its voice surprisingly quiet.

There was another group chant, though the words seemed slurred together.

"Obedience?" the ghost echoed. "Why would I need you fools? You are easy to kill, simple to sway, quick to betray. I have no need for humans."

Each member of the group spoke at the same time once more.

"_Velina."_

The ghost frowned. "My Master? What of her?"

One human came forward, separating himself from the group. He whispered something to the demon ghost.

The ghost's eyes widened. "Really... She is also..." It thought for a moment. Then, with a quick wave of its hand, it sent a purple wave of dark energy at the humans, knocking them all back. "I have no use for you mortals. Find another master who wishes to toil with the endless needs of a human. I have a mission to accomplish."

And, with that, it flew into the air, phasing through the ceiling with a blood-chilling laugh.

The members of the Skeletal Circle warily stood up. They were nothing without a Master; someone to give them orders and order _itself_.

Each member looked at each other, knowing something not even that demon ghost did, and acknowledging their only option.

Nothing was right anymore. Velina had power over the Obliteration, and now, the Skeletal Circle had no one. The Hyperforce is united again, leaving nowhere for them to hide. Soon, they would be discovered.

All members glanced at each other, emotionlessly, before their forms finally evanesced, fading away from this world.

* * *

"Hiya Chiro!" 

Otto's cheerful voice caused Chiro to turn around. The little green monkey stood right behind him, a big grin on his face. Nope, he hadn't changed in all these years...

Sparx was standing behind Otto, at little to his right, his arms crossed. He wasn't looking at Chiro at all; he was looking at Otto.

"Hi, Otto," Chiro said. He looked at Sparx. "And Sparx."

"Kid," was all Sparx said.

"We wanna ask you something, but we don't really know how to ask it..." Otto said suddenly, his tone becoming softer and more uncertain.

Sparx spoke. "Why'd you leave us, kid? We've been through so much together, and you just left us behind."

Chiro sighed and closed his eyes. He sank to the floor, leveling his eyes with Otto's and Sparx's. "I'm really sorry, guys," he said quietly. "It's just... I had something important to do and I couldn't let you guys get in the way of it."

"What, mastering the Power Primate?" Sparx huffed. "Antauri told us. That's not good enough."

"Remember that dragon?" Sparx blinked, remembering the evil dragon that signaled Chiro's return to the city.

He nodded. Chiro continued.

"That was my final test. It wasn't bent on destroying the universe or anything like that. It was like a final exam. And I passed..."

His hand slowly brushed over the scar on his eye. Gibson told him that one would never heal.

"Hey, kid, I'm sorry." Sparx's tone was now a lot kinder and gentler, and Chiro looked at him. "We're sorry."

"All that matters is that we're all here and alive," Otto said happily. Sparx elbowed him. "What??"

Chiro laughed and pulled both monkeys in for a hug. Sparx seemed surprised at first, but Otto hugged him back immediately.

Chiro released both of them and smiled. "What do you guys wanna do?"

Otto responded instantly, running towards the main room, shouting, "Video games!"

"I bet'cha I can beat you Otto!" Sparx yelled after him, running as well.

Chiro followed. "I can beat the both of ya!"

* * *

The door to the room opened with a mechanical hiss, and Nova exited, looking both ways down to make sure no one was coming. 

But just as she took a step out of the room, Otto blasted past her, running towards the main room. She was about to protest, when Sparx almost knocked her down. She pun around twice, faced their direction to scold them—

—when Chiro crashed into her.

They both went tumbling, and separated. Chiro crashed into the door of the main room as it was closed, upside down, and Nova slid to a stop not too far.

Chiro groaned as he slowly righted himself and sat up, is back against the door. He stood up slowly, and finally noticed Nova.

"Are you okay?" he asked her, helping her up from the floor. She nodded. "Sorry about that. I need to watch where I'm going."

"It's okay," Nova assured him, nodding.

She looked into his eyes, wanting to tell him what she had worked up the courage to say, but now lost.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's something you want to tell me?" Chiro asked her.

Yup. That was him, quick as a whip.

"I'm...sorry...for what I said yesterday," Nova admitted, looking down. "I lost control. You were right. I did sort of...broke down."

"Don't worry, Nova," she heard him say. "I'm sorry too. For leaving you."

She sniffed, looking up, but he was already gone.

* * *

Antauri's eyes snapped open as he broke from his meditating state. Something had happened. He felt a dark presence near. 

The old times were back. And this time, the Hyperforce was back as well.

He sensed the presence of an evil spirit nearby, and that could only mean one thing...

"Chiro," he whispered, lowering himself to the floor and dashing out of the room. Just as he exited his chambers, he caught sight of pink locks vanishing around a far corner.

* * *

_**Chiro...**_

Chiro stopped in his tracks. He was just on his way to his room after a video game-filled three hours (he won by the way), and suddenly, a voice spoke to him. He shook his head to clear it.

_**Do not deny me, boy,**_ the voice said quietly.

"Who's there?" Chiro yelled to the ceiling.

He got an answer.

_**I am the Obliteration.**_

"What do you want with me? You're that ghost freak from last night, aren't you?"

_**I grow tired of this childish game of hide-and-seek,**_ the voice sighed. _**I must do what I must do.**_

Chiro recognized the phrase; it was one the Planetoid Q often used while under the Skeleton King's control.

"Q?" he asked.

_**I know no 'Q'. I am the Obliteration. And obliterate I shall.**_

"You evil—"

_**You will be destroyed. Your 'Super Robot' shall be obliterated. Your precious city shall fall into ruins. The planet will scorn you. You will have nowhere to hide. You will have nowhere to run. You will have no one left. I will follow you to the edge of the galaxy and beyond, and I will find you. Then,**_it snickered in his mind,_**obliterate I shall.**_

Chiro's legs shook. This was _really_ starting to scare him.

"What do you want?" Chiro demanded.

His blood ran cold at the answer.

_**I want you...to **_**die.**

"Chiro?" a voice called.

He visibly winced and he turned around...and came face-to-face with Jinmay. Antauri was at her side, and they both looked at him questioningly.

"Is there something you would like to tell us, Chiro?" Antauri asked, his voice as calm as ever.

Chiro cringed inwardly. Oh, boy, _did_ he.

* * *

A bit short, for me, but I thought it came out good. It was a bit shorter when I originally finished it, but JayEd (thank you!) reminded me that I didn't even mention Sparx or Otto in Chapter Two. So...here they are!

Kinda reminds me of that movie, _When A Stranger Calls_. Anyone see that? When the girl asks what this anonymous caller wants, he says, "Your blood. All over my hands."

Muahahahaha!!! Anyways...the next few chapters will start to pick up on the fun part. Don't you worry. I'm taking this one slow and steady. I plan on the next chapter starting the main conflict, hopefully.


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Obliterate**

**Chapter Four: The Beginning of the End**

* * *

I'm trying to make this as good as I possibly can. Hope it's good!

* * *

"What did it say?" 

Chiro looked down at his hands. He was sitting on his bed, and in front of him were the concerned figures of Antauri and Jinmay. He was being interrogated...about the ghost.

"It said..." Chiro wasn't sure he wanted to tell them. His usually tough exterior melted away to reveal his old self, for a moment. "It said it would destroy us, the Super Robot, Shuggazoom City, and everyone would hate us and we would have nowhere to run or hide." He spoke so quickly, the words were slurred together. "It said it wanted me to die."

"What was its name?"

Chiro let out a sigh before looking up at them. "The Obliteration."

Jinmay let out a small gasp, but it was dwarfed by Antauri's next statement. "We must prepare. We must finish all repairs on the Super Robot, all system upgrades, and the rest of us must train some more." He smiled a little. "Chiro, do you wish to train with us?"

Chiro was about to say no, but something changed his mind. "Sure. I'd like to."

* * *

The Monkey Team finally got to see how Chiro's secretive training payed off. 

He could do numerous new things, like create an energy shield from the Power Primate (like he did in _Thanks for the Memories_), teleport, fly, and hear even the smallest of sounds.

His concentration during meditation training was intense, and it even ruined Antauri's concentration, it unnerved him so much. But he didn't object.

* * *

That evening, a storm had picked up. Dark storm clouds gathered, and lightning flashed among the sky. Thunder accompanied it, almost deafening Chiro as he stood on the very top of the Robot, on the antenna. Rain poured down in sheets, drenching his clothes. 

He had learned that supernatural forces used weather to make themselves known, thus, Chiro learned to 'read' the weather in such cases. By the way the storm clouds were gathering, the way the lighting and thunder crashed in unison, he knew something very, very terrible was about to happen.

* * *

_It was late at night when it finally came._

Screams of Shuggazoomian citizens were heard, piercing through the Robot's metal even. It awoke everyone, and they ran to the main room.

It was dark, but purple explosions of dark energy appeared all across the city. People were running for safety, but all safe places were destroyed as well.

They got the Super Robot up and running. It had been a while since they used it, so the insides creaked as it took a step forward.

"We have work to do..." Gibson muttered.

The others nodded as the Robot disengaged, separating to different sections of the nearly-totaled city. Chiro's Torso Tank skid to a stop in front of Shuggazoom's central water tower.

He stepped out of the vehicle. A man came running past, and Chiro shot out at an inhuman speed and grabbed his arm. The man tugged, desperate to keep running.

"What's going on?" Chiro yelled over the destruction.

"It's coming!" the man shouted. "It's coming!!!"

He pulled free and continued running; where to, Chiro didn't know. He looked up to the sky...

And saw it.

The ghost that called itself the Obliteration was there, barely visible among the black storm clouds. Lightning flashed behind it, making it visible for a split second. But it only took that second for Chiro to notice the demon, and for it to notice him.

"Human boy," it said, sighing. Its voice boomed even louder than the thunder. "I grow tired of you and your simians' attempts. No one can defy my power."

"What did we ever do to you?" Chiro yelled, rain pouring down and stinging his face. "We've done nothing, yet you attack our city! Why?"

The Obliteration seemed to smile. "Because I can."

It created a dark purple orb of glowing energy and slung it around, until it looked like a whip. It lashed it out at Chiro, but he dodged it.

"Just because you can?" Chiro repeated. "You have no motive? A villain with a motive is bad enough, but one without any is just plain _wrong_!!!"

The Obliteration froze. It floated there. Then, its eyes narrowed at him.

"You _dare_ to insult _me_?" it boomed, rising up into the air further. "You shall feel the wrath of the Obliteration!" It glared down at him, its eyes piercing through his very soul. "You _will_ die."

Lightning flashed behind it, reflecting in Chiro's eyes. His eyes widened...

And the Obliteration attacked.

* * *

Chiro ran. 

He had gotten a brutal beating from that ghost, and he couldn't take any more. His training never prepared him for this. This...evil spirit...it wasn't normal. He was used to the Dark Ones and some other dark creatures, but not this.

He stumbled into the Torso Tank, his wounds thumping painfully. The attack was all a blur. The scar on his face was pounding; it must've reopened. Blood ran down his face, and he wiped it off with his sleeve, leaving a dark trail of crimson clashing against the white.

He started up the Tank and sped away, leaving skid mark on the asphalt, though they could not be seen at this time.

"Chiro!" Antauri's voice came in, along with static, from the communicator. "What happened?"

Chiro gasped out the answer: "Bad...bad...something bad."

"Chiro!" Antauri repeated. "Tell me!"

Chiro shut off the communicator with a sharp punch to the console, and it fizzled out. Chiro was left in semi-darkness, and he lowered his head.

* * *

Antauri jerked as his communication relays fizzled out, followed by most of the other consoles on the Brain Scrambler. The ship slowly fell from the sky, Antauri pulling hard on the controls to get it to softly glide to the ground. 

He got out of the ship as fast as he could, as it had set on fire. Even in the pouring rain, the flames continued to dance alone his ship. He watched in horror as his ship was devoured by...unreal flames.

The Brain Scrambler, within seconds, was beyond any mystical or mechanical repair. It was gone.

And Antauri was alone, in the middle of the large city, rain pouring down and thunder cracking in the sky, no one aware of his existence.

* * *

Far away, Nova stood in a similar position, watching in shock as her ship was engulfed in purple flames. These flames weren't of this dimension. They played along the ship, undeterred by the relentless rain, never letting out. The Foot Cruiser was reduced to a smoldering heap of metal in seconds. Jinmay stood at her side, at a loss for words. 

_(Hannah Montana: That's why they call them freak storms 'cause they're freaky.)(Oh, god, that so fits!)_

* * *

Each and all members of the Hyperforce were awed, for, at that exact moment, a burst of green light appeared. A funnel of light shot up from the middle of the city, and took the form of the Inner Primate. A whip-like form of energy lashed out and struck...the Obliteration. The ghost was blown back with a shriek, and the Power Primate seemed to flash along its body. 

"Monkey Mind Scream!"

Chiro's voice rang out, and the sonic attack followed, blasting forth. The Obliteration flew out and around the outside of the attack, brandishing sharp claws as it struck Chiro in the face.

The attack stopped abruptly as Chiro fell from the sky.

* * *

Antauri's eyes widened as he watched the spectacle. He ran, as fast as he could, in the direction that the two had been fighting in. 

He met up with Gibson and Sparx along the way. "Your ships..." Antauri said, panting.

Gibson looked at Sparx, and sighed. "Destroyed."

"Mine too," Sparx said sulkily.

Antauri's hand clenched in a fist, but he loosened up. "Let's go," he said simply.

* * *

They finally reunited with Nova and Jinmay on the way, and Otto soon afterward. It was the same. All parts of the Super Robot had been destroyed. 

Except one.

The Torso Tank stood, untouched, in the middle of Shuggazoom Park. Chiro lay on top of it, unconscious. Jinmay climbed up and kneeled beside him, laying a hand on his back. He had a nasty gash on his forehead to his right cheek; the claw marks were still visible. The blood oozing from the wound was washed away by the rain.

The ghost rose up from inside the Torso Tank, glaring hatefully at the robot girl. "I give you all one last chance. Live, or die trying to save yourselves."

Jinmay made their answer clear with a returning glare.

Chiro groaned and sat up slowly. He stood up shakily, and stared at the ghost. Suddenly, the Inner Primate surged forth, grabbing the ghost by what would be its neck. The other hand grabbed it on the tail, and pulled, like it was trying to tear the abomination in half.

"We will never give up!" Chiro said. "If you want me to die, then I'll go down fighting to the last breath!"

"You anger me," the Obliteration said in a monotone voice. Its already extended body wrapped around the arm of the Inner Primate, and then snaked to the rest of its body. It coiled around its torso, before constricting.

The Inner Primate vanished once more, and the ghost ended up coiling around Chiro's body instead. But that was the idea. Chiro's face turned purple as precious air was cut off.

"Leave him alone!" Sparx yelled. "Magna-Tingler Blast!"

The red electricity struck the black ghost, and it released Chiro. His face returned to its original color as he finally began to breathe.

"Guys—" Chiro gasped. "We have...to run."

"What about Shuggazoom?" Otto yelled over the furor of the storm and battle.

Chiro turned to the city, watching the death flames consume parts of it, despite the rain. "There's nothing we can do."

The others followed his gaze and sighed as they realized he was right. They had to flee—and leave Shuggazoom to die.

Chiro literally grabbed all of the monkeys, his muscles still strong enough to lift them, and carried them to the Torso Tank. He dropped them behind the seat and started the vehicle up as Jinmay got in the seat behind his.

"Are we doing the right thing?" Jinmay asked softly.

Chiro looked down at the blinking controls, wondering if they were doing what was right. They were supposed to protect Shuggazoom, not leave it in peril. They needed time...

"We need time to figure a plan out," he told them. "In the meantime, we should find a planet that's safe."

The monkeys all nodded, however reluctantly.

The Torso Tank's engine fires up, and the boosters on the bottom propelled it into the air. The rockets on the back launched it into the sky, and towards the stars.

As they left, the storm seemed to clear up, and Nova peered out a small window. _Hey,_ she thought. _Where's that ghost? Shouldn't it be trying to stop us?_

As the ship cleared the atmosphere, Chiro's shadow beneath the chair seemed to stir. Two red eyes appeared in the blackness of the shadow, which seemed a bit darker than it was supposed to be...

* * *

After they were gone, the storm dissapated, leaving behind a partially burnt and flooded Shuggazoom. Not one building was left undamaged. 

The humans exited the hiding spots, looking to the sky.

"Why, Hyperforce?" a lone voice asked. "Why did you leave us like this? You were supposed to protect us, not run away..."

All eyes glared at the sky. Their heroes betrayed them, leaving them to die...

_How could they?_

* * *

Oo... Spooky...

Hope everyone liked this chapter. Continue with all the good stories, you know who you are!

Reveiw!!


	5. Refugees

**Obliterate**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Refugees**

Thank you Matanzo El Mono for help with this chapter! You know what you did.

There's an important note at the bottom I want everyone to read after you finish the chapter. Thank you!

* * *

Velina's eyes closed as she sensed the power...the glorious power. She sensed Shuggazoom was gone, and the Hyperforce had abandoned their world they had sworn to protect. This would be all too easy for something as powerful as the Obliteration... 

But, she was unaware to the events behind her. The shattered remains of the Shadow Stronghold were glowing softly, inching closer and closer together...

* * *

Antauri watched gravely out of the small window as the shrinking planet called Shuggazoom. The planet now seemed pale, lifeless, without them. 

The monkeys each glanced at each other, then to Chiro, the same thought on their minds.

"Chiro..." Gibson began. "Should we go back?"

Chiro shook his head roughly. "Shuggazoom's beyond any help we can offer now. We just have to wait."

"We left the planet to die," Antauri said, trying to retain his anger. "Why would you just run away and leave? I thought you were a hero."

The Torso Tank abruptly stopped as Chiro slammed on the brakes to the vehicle. He turned around to face Antauri, for the first time showing emotion—seething anger. "I don't even want to hear it from you, Antauri. You're all talk, but no play. You say team members never keep secrets from each other, but how many do you keep stored in that robotic computer you call a brain? I looked to you as a role model, long ago, but when I learned you gave the team up so easily, it changed my viewpoint. You're weak, Antauri. I hate to have called you my friend."

He slammed on the auto-pilot button and stormed off to the back of the Torso Tank, fuming.

All eyes blinked in shock. Chiro had never exploded at Antauri like that. Their gazes followed Chiro to the back of the tank, and he vanished into another much smaller room.

"What do we do now, Antauri?" Otto asked quietly. "Turn the Torso Tank around?"

"We should," Jinmay murmured. "We need to help Shuggazoom and—"

Antauri shook his head, almost reluctantly. "No. He is right. We must find a safe world to stay on—and prepare."

* * *

Chiro had set the Torso Tank on a self-driven course to a planet called Icire. Even Gibson had no idea what the planet was like, but it was obvious Chiro did. 

Otto longingly gazed around the tank. It reminded him of his Foot Cruiser—the one he lost. All of their ships were destroyed, thus destroying the whole Super Robot. The Torso Tank was now all they had left, and he doubted he could ever rebuild such a robot. _Besides,_ he thought, _the Super Robot had character. It was a team member..._

Jinmay got out of her seat. Sitting for so long was so boring. She stepped past the monkeys and to the back of the tank. She knocked on the door. "Chiro? It's Jinmay. Can we talk?"

There was no response.

Jinmay hesitated, then slid the door open. Chiro was sitting on the padded floor, his back to her, in a lotus position. She warily circled him and sat down in front of him. His face was looking down at his lap, his eyes closed, his features serene.

"Who are you talking to, Chiro?" Jinmay asked, more to herself than him. "Are you going to leave us again? Is that it?"

Chiro subconsciously took a deep breath. He still remained as calm as ever.

Jinmay closed her eyes in frustration.

Suddenly, Chiro's hand shot out and pressed against her forehead. It was so sudden that Jinmay had no time to comprehend it, and she was lost to the flow of power...

* * *

_Jinmay opened her eyes slowly, aware of the rumbling all around her. When her vision cleared, she saw one half of it was red, and the other blue. She thought for a second she was in some kind of fun house (which was odd considering the situation), but then she realized what it was._

_She was on some planet. One half—Jinmay's left—of the planet was a burning wasteland, one only the most hardy of people could survive. And the other half was a frozen wonderland, completely iced over._

_And the two lands spilt just under her feet, where fire met ice._

_The cold wind blew in from the east, clashing silently with the hot wind blowing in from the west, creating an updraft that blew her hair around wildly. She stepped backwards, onto the ice, and was immediately hit with the freezing, blowing snow over her body and ruffling her clothes. She yelped as the wind picked up. She stepped back onto the split of land, and the updraft continued._ What kind of planet is this?_ Jinmay asked herself._

_Then, she heard a roar. She looked up to see two waves of people charging at each other—blue-armored humans coming from the ice lands, red-armored humans from the fire lands._

_They each had weapons he had never before seen, and they were going head on—two armies about to collide._

_Then, a wave of green shot across the split point in the land, passing harmlessly through Jinmay's body. She looked away, then back at the split, and a familiar figure stood on between the two armies._

_Chiro was clad in a special kind of armor, different than that of both groups of humans, and green besides. "Go back to your lands," he said, calmly but firmly, glaring at both groups. His hands were held out, almost as if they could push the armies back to where they came from. "Save the battle for a time that's actually right." He pointed up._

_Jinmay and all the other humans followed his gesture to the sky—and it was not Jinmay gasped. A huge flaming meteor was headed down to the planet. It seemed like a giant blazing diamond, than a blazing rock._

_One of the humans nearest Chiro said, "What do we do? That will destroy Icire!"_

Icire?_ Jinmay thought. _Isn't that the world...Chiro put the coordinates in for? _She crept closer so she could hear better._

_All the humans began talking at once, and Chiro's yelling could barely be heard. He shot up a powerful green blast at the nearing comet, and the light was refracted, slicing through half of the red army. "Everyone, shut up. I can destroy it, but I need a truce between you two." He looked at what Jinmay assumed to be the leader of the blue army, and then the leader of the red one._

"_Look at it this way," Chiro said when the leaders hesitated. He grabbed a chunk of ice from his left and held it in his hand, while with the other hand, he created a small flame that hovered barely above the skin. He brought the two hands beside each other, but not touching. "Fire can kill, but it can also bring warmth and comfort to those in ailment. Ice can also kill, but it, too, can help those in need. Both of these life and death elements can create one of the most wonderful things you can imagine." He brought the fire and the ice together, and there was a flash and a hiss. The fire melted the ice, creating a small puddle of water he held gingerly in his hands. "Two things of both life and death can give you life," he finished. He brought the water to his mouth and drank it. He then looked at both armies. They were watching him with awe._

"_We shall end this battle," the red leader said in a coarse voice. "Help us today, but we will not give up so easily tomorrow."_

_The blue leader said nothing; he merely nodded._

_Chiro relaxed, to Jinmay's surprise. "That's all I'm asking."_

_Then, with that said, he jumped high into the air, heading for the nearing meteor. It was so close to hitting the planet..._

_...there was a flash! The meteor flashed once with bright white light, and exploded soundlessly. Eight large crystal shards rained down, and the armies retreated back to their own lands. At a safe distance, they turned around._

_Chiro was floating down slowly, along with the crystals, using the Power Primate to suspend himself and the eight crystals. He landed softly on once foot, balancing on the pinpoint top of the largest crystal. The large diamonds landed hard enough to pierce the ground—three on each side of the land's split between fire and ice, and two directly on the split. Six seven of the crystals formed a circle, and one punctured the ground in the very center of the circle. Chiro balanced delicately on the top of the shard, hands outward to guarantee his stability._

_The two armies looked on in awe. The shards of stone reflected the light coming from the ground—beams of red and blue shot in all directions. They had never seen something like this in all their lives._

_But, despite their awe, they finally dispersed, separating to their different parts of the planet. Two humans parted from their groups, one from the red, and one from the blue, ad approached Chiro, watching as he adroitly jumped from the top of the diamond._

"_A little show-offy, huh?" the red warrior asked, crossing his arms._

"_They still won't give up, Chiro," the blue one said. He had short blonde hair, with the ends dyed blue—the same color as his armor. His eyes were a silver color. The armor he was wearing seemed bulky, and...made of a kind of super-hardened ice._

"_I know, Trent," Chiro muttered. He looked to the red one. "What news from the Red Side is good, Scarlet?"_

_The red person—Scarlet—took of his helmet. _He_ was a _she_. She had long ebony hair, and piercing red eyes. Her armor curved gently with her body, and seemed to fit comfortably. There were spikes on her shoulders, and on her hips._

"_Not much," she said. "I wish I had a higher position in the Red Army. It would help us have an edge."_

Edge?_ Jinmay thought. She crept closer. _Us?

"_We need to stop this war, once and for all," Trent said valiantly. "Our peoples have been fighting long enough."_

"_I know a few people who could help," Chiro told them._

"_Who?" Scarlet gazed at him. "Your 'Hyperforce' you told us about? Aren't they dead?"_

"_They're not dead!" Chiro yelled, causing the two to step back. "They're...apart. For now."_

"_You told us you disowned them." Trent crossed his arms._

"_No, I just left. I didn't disown them, and I didn't abandon them. I left for my training."_

"_This Power Primate thing we're learning," Scarlet said uncertainly, twisting her black locks. "You have mastered it, right? And you're sure we know what we're doing?"_

_Chiro merely nodded. "The Power Primate destroyed the comet. It can do anything."_

_Trent blinked. "You said that was a staged comet!"_

_Chiro shook his head and smiled. "No, I sent it down here on purpose. I knew your armies would call off this one battle today to seek help with the meteor, and I was here, by chance, to stop it." He glazed at the two straight in the eye. "Got that?"_

_They saluted. "Got it!" they both said._

_Chiro smiled. "Go home. Next time you see me, I won't be alone. I promise I'll return to help."_

_So the two headed off in their respecitve directions._

_Jinmay blinked. Now, she was standing right next to Chiro, but he didn't seem to notice her. She waved a hand in front of his face, saying, "Chiro? Chiro!" But he didn't respond as he simply looked up at the sky._

_Then, Jinmay realized—she was in some kind of trance._

_But she didn't have time to comprehend _that_ as she was suddenly yanked out of it back to the real world._

_But, not before she saw Chiro reach around his neck and grab some kind of necklace or pendant, handing it from the point of the tallest crystal..._

_

* * *

_

Jinmay's eyes snapped open, and she fell backwards, gasping for air. She looked around. She was still in the small room, but Chiro was nowhere in sight. She stood shakily and walked to the door. Before she opened it, though, she heard words from the computer leak through the door.

"_Approaching planet Icire. Preparing for landing..."_

* * *

Hope this was good.

I have a question for all I want answered in either a reveiw or a PM. I have two possible endings to this story. In scenario one, what happens will create another sequel, focused on one character. Scenario two is more boring, no one dies (did I say that out loud?) and does not lead to a sequel.

Opinions?

Oh, by the way, for a friend... If you haven't read **JayEd's** stories _Elemental Legends_ or _Flowing_, they are really good, so I recommend you read them!


	6. Hello

**Obliterate**

* * *

Oh, yes, a whole other plot battle. It may get a little confusing, so be sure to read slowly and keep track.

They will also arrive at a few other planets, have smaller conflicts, but this one and the Obliteration are the main antagonists here.

**_And since most asked for the first scenario, I think I will do that. But further thinking came up with a third scenario. Said character still dies, but still in the story, comes back to life. Everyone thought s/he died, but s/he didn't. And, something else happens. I'm not telling though!_**

Is that good?

By the way, Matanzo El Mono also helped me with this chapter. Icire belongs to him!

Anyways, here's chapter six!!!

* * *

**Chapter Six: Hello**

* * *

More like a crash landing.

This week was becoming a bad stroke of luck. First, they were attacked by an evil ghost, twice. Then, they were forced to leave their home planet, just to stay alive. And, now, they were out of fuel, forcing the Torso Tank down through the large planet's atmosphere.

The crash was sudden, if not painful. Chiro's body was slammed into the side console, sending a jolt of electricity up his arm. He let out a rough yell and collapsed to the ground, conscious, but breathing hard.

The others had it easier, since they were robotic and all, but were still banged up a lot. They warily climbed out of the remains of the Torso Tank, Jinmay with Chiro's arm slung around her shoulder, and looked at it. It was battered up, but within Otto's repairing abilities. He could fix it.

Then, a gasp from Gibson was heard.

They turned their attention away from the tank and to the blue monkey. Jinmay's eyes widened at the sight. This was exactly the same planet she had seen in her vision!

Split blue and red straight down a vertical line.

"This is a scientific marvel!" Gibson said, spreading his arms. "I've never seen such a planet. Freezing ice on one side, volcanic fields on the other! But...how is this possible?"

"Magic," Chiro said simply.

"Hey, look at the pretty rocks!" Otto exclaimed from further on.

Everyone turned to his direction, and no one noticed Chiro's shadow stir, not matching Chiro's movements, but then become still.

There it was, Jinmay saw. The circle of crystals. What she saw wasn't fake; it was most likely one of Chiro's memories, given to her for some odd, unknown reason she had yet to learn.

"I've never seen such marvelous crystals," Gibson remarked, running his hand over the smooth side of one.

"They look like they came from...a comet," Antauri said thoughtfully, as if he was unsure he was actually right.

"Or a meteor," Chiro whispered.

"But why would a meteor or comet split up like this and land in perfect symmetry?" Gibson questioned, turning back to the group. "It defies all logic reasoning!"

Chiro sighed. "Gibson, sometimes you really have to let go of logic. Many things don't have a logical answer."

"You've been here before," Sparx realized, looking at Chiro.

Chiro nodded. "There were two armies. They were...going to destroy each other. I knocked a meteor towards their planet to get them to stop, just for one day. Then I destroyed it at the right place and time to create a secret opening for the Underground."

"Underground?" Otto echoed. "Some kind of group of people?"

Chiro nodded. "I'll take you there."

"How do you know about them? Are you their leader?" Sparx asked, crossing his arms.

"...Yes," was Chiro's simple answer.

He slowly approached the crystals, entering the circle of them. The air seemed to shimmer as he did so.

Chiro stood lithely on top of the center crystal, facing north, balancing solely on one foot, the other leg folded like a flamingo's, with his hands pressed together in front of his heart. He reached a hand out and shot a beam of green energy at the stone on front of him. The energy was refracted, and it shot out to hit another stone, followed by another and another. Soon, the energy beams created something—a star in the middle of a hexagon (just lines; there's a photobucket link on my homepage with a picture).

The ground shifted under their feet. Other than that, nothing happened.

Chiro then hopped down from the crystal he was on, motioning for the others to approach. They did so warily, and as each member entered the circle of crystals, the air shimmered more and more, distorting vision. He saw, through his blurring vision, as Chiro walked towards the center crystal. He gently grabbed Antauri's arm and tugged him along. The others held onto Antauri's other arm, forming a chain with Chiro at the head. None let go as they all saw that Chiro had actually walked _into_ the centerpiece crystal, the diamond rippling like a portal every time something entered it.

Antauri sensed...something...familiar. He focused on the power, knowing he and the others were soon to losing consciousness. Then it hit him, just as his robotic body powered down.

_The Power Primate?..._

* * *

"...is that?" 

He could hear voices...

"It's a spare charger I built...gives them energy..." This voice sounded familiar; the other did not.

Antauri clenched his eyes, but did not open them.

"Charger?"

"I know what I'm doing."

Antauri opened his eyes to see nothing but white. Then, his vision cleared. He figured it out—he was laying on a stone table, probably for medical uses. A charger was plugged into the back of his head. He saw the others were in similar circumstances.

He looked to the left to see that the charger was plugged up to some kind of machine, which was beeping slowly. The machine worked; otherwise, it looked battered, dull, and nearly broken. Antauri then recognized it as the spare energy battery to Chiro's Torso Tank.

Otto stood next to the machine, constantly tweaking screws and messing with the controls. But, now that he saw Antauri was awake, he ran to the silver monkey's side.

"Antauri!" he exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm—" Antauri was cut off by a spasm of pain as he slowly tried to sit up; one which forced him to lay back down. "—fine..."

Otto gave him a skeptical look. "Uh-huh. I may not be good with medical stuff, but you're not okay. The monitors say so."

Antauri nodded slowly.

Then, looking to his right, he saw a door. He vaguely heard two beings talking to each other, but he only picked up part of the conversation.

"...couldn't handle the power, for some reason." Antauri immediately recognized the voice as Chiro's, but the second was unfamiliar.

"You said they could, Chiro."

"I said nothing of the sort, Scarlet. I said they had the Power Primate in them. This power is different, but similar."

"Are you sure these...robot...things...can help us?"

"Positive."

"When will they wake up?"

He heard Chiro snicker for a moment. "Otto is. But one other is already awake."

Otto jumped up and down. "Chiro!!"

The door creaked open, and Antauri looked up at the two figures that entered. Neither he could identify, for one was wearing a cloak, and the other armor. Green armor, to be exact.

Otto ran up to the cloaked figure and stood next to him, saying, "Antauri's awake, but the others aren't. Nova's stats say she will wake up soon, though."

The cloaked figure nodded.

The armored figure stood next to Antauri's bed, while the cloaked one rounded the other tables and observed the rest of the Hyperforce, who were now just coming to.

"C-Chiro?" Antauri asked, pushing himself up to look at the figure by his bed.

The figure lifted up the helmet, revealing a teenage girl. She had deep black hair, like Chiro's, with the tips of them dyed red. Her face was hardened, as if she had endured much in her life, but she brightened as soon as she saw Antauri.

"Aww!" she said. "They're so cute!!"

The other figure chuckled. "Hope you're not talking about my girlfriend there, Scarlet."

"Chiro!!"

Antauri now knew that the figure roaming around the other beds was Chiro. As he slowly removed the hood covering his head, Antauri could see that he looked tired, almost as if he hadn't slept for—

"How long were we out?" Antauri suddenly asked.

Chiro let out a heavy sigh. "About two days. I would've woken you guys up sooner, but that would have proven to be more dangerous."

"Dangerous?" the silver monkey echoed. "How?"

Chiro, though, completely ignored the question. He went over to the table Jinmay was on and held up her head as her eyes opened.

"Chiro?" she whispered.

He nodded.

She fully sat up, with Chiro's help, and placed a hand on her head. "Man, what happened?"

"You passed out," Chiro said slowly. "It's been a few days..."

Jinmay just groaned and fell back into slumber.

Chiro sighed and laid her back down. Antauri watched as the girl—Scarlet—approached Chiro and placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "Should I address your wounds as well?"

Chiro held out his arms, almost as if he forgot all about his injuries, and looked at them. There were scratches, bruises and gashes all down both arms, and on his torso. His facial expression didn't change, though, as he said, "Okay."

Antauri watched as Chiro removed the cloak and his shirt, sitting on an empty table so the girl could bandage his wounds. She seemed like she knew what she was doing with healing. A strange purple paste went on all over Chiro's arms and chest, which were then covered with gauze. Even though Scarlet seemed skilled, Chiro winced occasionally, and she would always whisper the faintest, "Sorry," and continue working.

When she was done, Chiro began shivering uncontrollably. Scarlet helped him off the table. "Yeah, forgot to mention. That paste will make you feel cold for a few hours after application."

"C-Can I g-go to the hot s-springs?" Chiro asked shakily, wrapping his arms around himself as he continued to shiver.

Scarlet patted him on the back. "Go for it."

Chiro nodded and, despite shivering so much, ran out of the room. Antauri sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the table, and watching him go.

Then, Scarlet turned to regard him. "Would you like to go after him?" she asked him. "I can see you. You always want to protect him, so you can go after him if you wish. But leave him be. He just needs time alone."

Antauri nodded and got off the table, slowly running out of the room. Scarlet watched him go, but returned to the room as groans from the other monkeys caught her attention.

The yellow one's eyes slowly opened. Scarlet noticed a flash of confusion in the bubble gum pink eyes...

* * *

Antauri didn't know at all where the hot springs were, but he found great interest in the underground cavern he had discovered himself in. 

There were buildings, made of stone, all lined neatly in rows, leaving a wide space for a road. People only walked on foot; he saw no motorized vehicles at all. No one shot a second glance at him, and he subconsciously knew that they were alerted that five robotic monkeys were now living amongst them. Antauri guessed they weren't that advanced.

The cavern was lit with small but bright crystal lights in the ceiling. They seemed like some kind of solar-like crystal, since there were plants down there. They pulsed in the seven colors of the rainbow, sending waves of the different colors over the underground landscape.

He soon worked up the courage to ask someone about the hot springs. It was an elderly woman. She laughed a little, and then pointed over to her left. All Antauri saw was a rather large ridge, but then he noticed steam wafting up from behind it.

He ran over, activating his jetpack to surpass the ridge and land on the crown of it. He looked down at the hot springs.

But it wasn't what he expected.

Instead of a small _pond_ heated by geothermal activity, he found a large _river_ heated by geothermal activity. The river spanned on for what seemed to be miles, winding through some of the small underground village and off into the distance and over the horizon—Antauri started as he realized there even was a horizon.

But as he slowly walked down the ridge, he saw there were several people in the hot springs. Young ones were splashing in the shallow water, their mothers watching carefully over them. Elderly folk were also soaking in the warm water, relaxing. But there was only one he was looking for. As soon as Antauri saw him, he smiled tenderly.

Chiro was lying on his chest in the shallower water near the shore, half his body submerged in steaming water. He had taken off the black cloak and his shirt, and was wearing swim trunks that were green and looked like scales—most likely given to him by the village people. The bandages on his arms and torso were pure white now, changing faintly with the rainbow light 'blowing' over the region. His arms were folded with his head on his hands, barely holding it up above the water so he could breathe, some small waves brushing occasionally over the left side of his face.

Antauri noticed that Chiro wasn't shivering anymore, but he was still worried. He ran down, afraid Chiro was hurt, but stopped as soon as his feet dug into soft sand. There was even a small beach there, with the finest sand he had ever felt. So he sat on the beach and watched Chiro, who was, apparently, fast asleep.

Antauri sighed, his thoughts trailing off to their recent battle on Shuggazoom. The Obliteration, he now knew, was not a spirit to be trifled with. It meant what it said, which meant it would soon come to Icire in pursuit of them. They had to rest up and prepare.

"Antauri?"

Antauri jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned to see Nova standing behind him. The golden warrior held up her hands on apology. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Antauri nodded, his toes digging into the sand below him.

"Where's Chiro?" Nova whispered, unable to locate him among the growing crowd.

Antauri pointed him out to her, and she seemed to panic. "Is he okay?"

"He's asleep," Antauri answered. "Some girl put something on his wounds that caused him to freeze up and probably drained his strength. Let him relax."

So they just sat there, lost in thought, for a long time...

"Do you think it was a good idea?" Nova suddenly asked quietly.

"To leave Shuggazoom? Of course. I believe that we need time to come up with a plan that can defeat this Obliteration character, and the best place to do it is a safe world like this one."

"No...I mean...to bring the Hyperforce back together. Maybe we're better off separated..."

Antauri stood up slowly. "No. I know what you are trying to say. What Chiro said to me...on the Torso Tank... I admit it was wrong for me to question him, and probably even more wrong for him to be disrespectful to me, but we all have trust to regain. Nova... Chiro had just witnessed the destruction of his home world."

"But Shuggazoom's out home too!" Nova shouted.

"Yes, but we've witnessed the destruction of other worlds we have also called home... Koraladoll, remember? And numerous other worlds that have held significance in our lives. All Chiro ever had was Shuggazoom."

"But...?" Nova said, knowing he had left something out.

"But he still should not have yelled like he did. Maybe he had some other reason, having to do with something we do not know about. I forgive him...this once."

* * *

Chiro sniffed, sucking water into his nose. He sneezed suddenly, his whole body jerking upright. He looked at his surroundings as he slowly sat up. 

"The hot springs?" he asked himself quietly. "How...?"

Then, he paused. _Oh... right... How long was I asleep?_

He then sat up in the steaming water, running his fingers through the sand at the bottom. He just sat there, gazing at the crystals in the ceiling...

* * *

Antauri looked up slowly. He saw Chiro sitting up now, wide awake. The silver monkey stood up, sensing something amiss... 

He had not time to process it, though, as Jinmay suddenly ran past him. He jumped as she almost ran over him, not even turning around to apologize. He saw as Chiro turned around and was suddenly tackled by Jinmay and knocked into the water.

Jinmay laughed as she watched Chiro fall backwards. "Jinmay?" he asked.

"Who else?" she said, laughing more.

Chiro chuckled a bit. He noticed Jinmay was still in her white dress, which was now soaking wet. "Scarlet didn't give you a suit?"

Jinmay looked at him, confused. "Who's Scarlet?"

Just at that moment, Antauri blinked as he saw Chiro's shadow, which was rippling in the water, suddenly become much lighter, and a darker shadow shot out from it, flattened against the floor of the hot springs and speeding off. His mechanical heart lurched as he watched it.

Chiro's voice brought him out of his wonders. "She's the head medical expert down here. She's been my friend since...you know. At least, you should know."

Jinmay nodded, suddenly remembering the memory. The girl she had seen was named Scarlet.

"This is some place down here," Jinmay commented. "Those crystals," she pointed to the seven solar crystals in the roof of the cave, "are the ones we used to get down here, right?"

Chiro nodded. "Yeah. They're kinda primitive down here..." Chiro went on. "But they have a great hold on the magical arts, and that's why I taught them...the Power Primate."

Jinmay heard the sand shifting behind her and she turned to see Antauri standing up, his eyes wide.

"You taught them the Power Primate?" Jinmay asked quietly. She looked back at him, then away. "Are you...allowed to?"

"In all rights," was his answer. He said no more.

Suddenly, loud splashing caught their attention, and they saw a green-armored figure running up to them, his armor weighing him down. He fell flat on his face a bit behind them, and Chiro sighed and got up to help him.

He helped the soldier up, who, in turn, removed the helmet he wore. It was a teenage boy, about sixteen or seventeen, with blue hair and eyes. He had a serene smile on his face, and Jinmay automatically knew who he was—Trent.

"They're coming?" Chiro asked quietly.

Trent nodded. "They're coming," he said. He looked to Antauri, then to Jinmay. "We better get back to the base."

As Antauri and Jinmay followed Chiro and the other back to the small town, something clicked in Antauri's head and he looked up at the solar crystals high above his head.

_Base? _He breathed out. _Not village...base?_

He only had a few moments to comprehend this—his thoughts were always continuously interrupted nowadays—before the seven crystals above their heads darkened, becoming a blood red.

* * *

The hefty man sat on his throne, emblazed with decorations of fire—flames, dragons, etc. He sighed, clasping his hands together, and focused on the sentient being in front of him. 

"You say you offer power, greatness, and victory in this quarrel," the man said slowly, still a bit cautious of this thing floating in front of him. Its eyes were a menacing red...but he liked red. "What do I need to give you?"

The ghost smiled. It was then that the King of the Influrnans decided he did not like this thing. But before he could call the guards, it spoke.

"Your soul."

The whole land seemed to resonate with the screams.

Guards rushed in not moments later, clad in armor that seemed to make them appear as if they were on fire by the way it reflected the sunlight from the open roof room.

The King just waved a dismissive hand. "I have...formed an allegiance with the Influrnans," he said, his voice whispery, not the voice of the King they knew. "The Snicelizzers will perish at the hands of fire... Fire shall always beat ice..."

As the guards slowly left the room, the King smiled. Another hand—a shadowy one—seemed to rise out of his own and clench into a fist. "And _his_ soul _will_ be mine..."

* * *

Whoo! Done with Chapter Six! Kinda long, for me, but I liked how it turned out.

Sorry I couldn't get this up sooner. It wouldn't let me upload the file. But here it is! Again!

Thanks again to Matanzo El Mono for help with this chapter. Remember, Icire is his!!


	7. Shadows of Conflict

**Obliterate**

* * *

Okay, sorry this took so long to get up (well, long for me). I had writer's block. And school. Hope none of you are mad at me. School's been...evil.

Well, the only note I have is this: This was originally going to be Chapter Seven and Eight combined, but I put them together at the last second (not a good idea, oh well). Chapter Eight originally started at the eighth divider, starting at the on right below this message.

Read, and enjoy! I command you!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Seven: Shadows of Conflict**

Chiro burst open the door, stumbling into the room. Sparx, Gibson, and Otto turned to look at him. Chiro yelped as he tripped over the small lift in the ground, slamming to the floor. He looked up at the three monkeys, then down at the floor. There he was, lying there, dripping wet with a puddle of water under him, and only wearing a pair of shorts.

He grimaced in embarrassment.

"Yeesh, Chiro, clumsy much?" Jinmay looked as the girl—Scarlet—approached and helped him to his feet.

Gibson handed him a green shirt. "Get a shirt on, Chiro."

Chiro pulled the shirt on, aware of their eyes on him. He finally met their eyes. "What?"

"Chiro..." Gibson said slowly, as if scolding a child. "Why did you not tell us that we are going to _participate in a __**war**_??"

Chiro rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "That's why I was coming here...to see if you were awake so I could tell you..."

Gibson nodded slowly. "Okay. Any other secrets?"

Chiro nodded as well. "The war is held between two sides of the planet and their people—the Snicelizzers are the ice people, and the Influrnans are the fire. They used to be one people, but something happened to the planet and made it like this." He held up Trent's armored hand. "Like I said, they used to be one people—the Green people."

Otto smiled. "So, you guys are like a rebel group trying to stop the war?"

All eyes turned to him. "You must be the smart one," Trent said to Otto.

Sparx snorted. "Smart?"

Otto pushed him.

"Okay, easy guys," Chiro said, pulling them apart. "We can't have this anymore. I know all of you were upset when I said we leave Shuggazoom, but I had to. Now, I already have a plan, but I have to think it over before we go in after that demon." He looked up at the ceiling. "Meanwhile, I had a promise to keep with these guys."

To everyone's surprise, Antauri said, "We understand."

"But you still had an obligation to protect Shuggazoom," Gibson pointed out.

"I never said I forgot about Shuggazoom," Chiro said slowly. "Do you know that I would willingly give my life to save Shuggazoom from anything?"

Jinmay swallowed hard.

"Off-topic question," Nova suddenly said, feeling uneasy about Chiro's claim. "Why are those crystals turning red now?"

Scarlet, who was standing next to the golden monkey, let out a sigh. "Because the Influrnans are coming to end life with the Snicelizzers. The ice folk over there are calm, and they only want peace now. Of course, we all know which is greater—fire, or ice?"

Trent, who was standing beside Scarlet, flinched. "Fire."

It was then that Nova noticed that Trent was holding Scarlet's hand. She looked at both of them. They noticed her confused looks.

Chiro finally spoke. "They're dating. They're the two leaders of this rebel group."

Nova nodded in understanding.

"I just hope this war doesn't have any negative consequences," Trent said. "I really want our plan to work."

"And what, may I ask, is the plan?" Gibson cut in.

"I came up with it," Chiro told him. "Those crystals up there are a focal point. Six of the most skilled Power Primate users here, including myself, will actually encase themselves in the crystals, and the Power Primate will do the rest."

Antauri didn't look too convinced. "But what happened if you and your comrades end up trapped forever within the crystals? What will you do then?"

Chiro sighed and refused to meet anyone's eyes. Then, without another word, Scarlet left. Unknown to the monkeys, bidden by Chiro's unspoken signal.

* * *

"Hey...Trent, isn't it?" 

Trent looked over to see the green monkey slowly approaching. "You're...Otto, right?"

Otto nodded. "Hey, where'd Scarlet go?"

Trent sighed. "She volunteered for a mission. It is to try and take out the Red Army before they can ever start a battle with the Blue."

"But...?" Otto said, sure he left out something.

"I'm afraid she won't come back."

Otto nodded in understanding.

* * *

The King looked proudly over his red armor-clad army. It was huge, large enough to take out the Snicelizzers before they knew what was happening to them. Fire would rule ice, and Icire would be his. 

Each warrior stood alert, and erect, waiting for their king's orders. The hefty man just stood on his podium, overlooking his army, a smile of glee on his face. His eyes burned a murderous red, as if he wanted to kill his army first and go after the side of ice second, just because he could.

"There are traitors in our midst," the king finally said, everyone standing at attention, though a few slouched at his words. "Rebels to the elapsed Green People that we all used to be. They have betrayed their people, and our cause."

Several looked up. As they did, their green headbands became clear as day, though very few noticed.

"Then we must hunt them down, Your Highness!" one of the warriors exclaimed.

"No need..." he said in a low tone. "They have already revealed themselves."

All eyes turned to a group of twenty people who had now separated themselves from the group. Their helmets were removed, revealing the green headband—the mark of the rebels.

One shot forward, yelling in righteous fury, and attacked the king. The others engaged in a battle with the huge army of the Fire People.

The King laughed as he saw the girl coming towards him. Such pitiful attempts. Did a group of twenty people expect to defeat the army that was now his? It was almost funny.

As the girl jumped up onto his high podium, he grabbed her by the neck. Despite his size, he was still very strong.

The girl writhed in his grip. She grabbed at his hand, trying to pry his fingers off her neck, but to no avail. The King brought her face to his, hissing into her ear.

"Tell them I'm waiting. Tell the Rebels that this is the last fight ever on Icire, and I shall win. For I am the Obliteration. The new Lord of this world." He tossed her down and she looked into his blazing red eyes. She knew that was not normal for her former king. "Tell the boy I'm waiting, Scarlet. The human living amongst primates. I have a hunger for his soul."

Scarlet gasped, but held it in. He kicked her, causing her to fall off the podium.

One of her comrades was able to catch her, and they were all forced into a retreat. The King watched them run off; it was a long way to the Crystal Circle that marked the entrance to the Rebel's HQ.

No crystals, no Rebels. Destroy the crystals before they knew, the Rebels would be stuck.

Underground.

He smiled.

* * *

The crystals in the ceiling briefly shone green, signaling the return of the advance group. The Hyperforce ran to them to greet them, as they were ordered to. 

Trent accompanied them, worried for his girl's safety. He saw her, okay, and he smiled broadly. He ran towards her and gather her in his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she said. "But we actually had a run-in with the King—"

"It was bound to happen," Trent said dismissively.

"But it wasn't him," she finished.

The monkeys each exchanged nervous looks.

"I need to see the spiritual master of this operation," Scarlet ordered. "Bring Chiro here."

* * *

"And that's what happened," Scarlet finished. 

Chiro sat on a soft woven chair, his elbows on his legs and his hands rubbing his temples as he stared at his feet. The monkeys all leaned down, trying to see the expression on his face.

"Chiro?" Antauri asked quietly.

"It's following us," Chiro concluded. "The Obliteration. It's following us."

Nova banged her fist on the table next to her, causing its legs to buckle and fall over. "Damn it!" she cursed. "Why won't it leave us alone?"

"Yeah!" Otto said. "It's already taken Shuggazoom from us, what else does it want?"

Chiro blinked, then spoke again. "The Prophecy. It said something to me. It said...it would destroy me, the Super Robot, and Shuggazoom City. All the people would hate us, and we would have nowhere to go... It's going to trap us in a corner and destroy us, one by one..."

"We can't let that happen!" Sparx announced fiercely, holding a fist out in front of him.

Chiro just sat his head in his hands, silent.

* * *

"Chiro seems...stressed," Nova said suddenly. 

Antauri glanced at her. "Yes, he has all reason to be."

Chiro had gone out with a second advance group, the ones who would try and stop the Red Army before they could get to the Divide. He had trained warriors and spellbinders with him, but he ordered the Hyperforce to stay behind.

"One of us should've gone with 'im," Otto said, crossing his arms smugly. "He may need us."

"Jinmay did," Nova said very slowly.

"Yeah, well, he's got those 'great fighters' with him," Sparx said slowly. "I'm thinking he's beginning to replace us."

"Don't be absurd," Gibson retorted, pushing Sparx. "He just needs us safe, for a real battle. He's just cautious. Remember, he's a bit trickier than he used to be."

"Yeah, but he's starting to drift off again," Nova reminded them. "What if we lose him?"

"More like, what if he loses us?" Otto said softly.

Suddenly, a static voice came through the communicator. It wasn't Chiro. It was Scarlet.

"H-Hyperforce?" She sounded scared.

"Scarlet?" Antauri asked. "What is wrong?"

"It's Chiro."

The monkeys exchanged nervous looks.

"He left."

"I knew it!" Sparx said. "He's abandoned us!"

"No, he didn't," Scarlet said. "We're all waiting at the Crystal Circle. He...'shut it off', or something. We can't get back down there. And I don't think you can get up here..."

"And what else?" Nova asked, knowing there was more to the new incident at hand.

"He ran off," she finished. "Chiro ran towards the Influrnan's kingdom."

"Did...anyone go with him?" Nova asked fearfully.

"No."

* * *

"You've come all this way for nothing," the King said, not turning around to face the boy behind him. "My army is already marching towards the Divide, and will only be a matter of time until the rebel base is destroyed. Once that is done, the Snicelizzers' kingdom will fall at the hands of fire." 

"You're not the King," Chiro said fiercely. "The only reason _you're_ here is because _we're_ here."

"No, you just figured that out?" A smile appeared on the man's features. "I thought you were smarter. But I suppose even I can be wrong."

Chiro glared and grit his teeth.

"So, you've come here, facing off against me," he continued, turning around to face Chiro. "What will you do now? Attack me? Even with your abilities, you cannot defeat me without ending your own life."

Chiro's eyes flashed, but the other didn't notice. "Who sent you?"

"You do not know?" The King looked incredulous. "Who else would be able to release me from the Shadow Stronghold for revenge?"

Chiro thought for a moment, before his eyes finally widened. "Velina..."

The King clapped slowly. "Good job."

He said nothing more, for suddenly, a sword flew through the air, piercing him through his heart. He looked and saw Chiro, standing there with a cold look on his eyes...

* * *

_Bang! Clang!_

Metallic sounds echoed around the underground rebel base. They were building something, but they had no clue what.

One of the builders held a hammer in one hand, passing the bent sheet of metal to another worker, who just so happened to be a green mechanical monkey. "So, this thing is supposed to fly?" the man asked incredulously.

"Duh!" Otto said, taking the metal and starting to weld it to the shell of the machine they were building. "Granted, this has gotta be the biggest thing I've ever built, but I should be able to get it done in the week."

Nova smiled at him, listening to their conversation. She removed her giant metal hands from the molten rock they had been submerged in. It didn't hurt, nor did it melt her hands. She set her hands on a proto conveyor belt they had made, and the melted metal trailed along it to a cooling area. She sighed as her eyes drooped. Making metal from scratch was much more harder than it looked, especially with no machines to help.

She watched Antauri, ripping apart newly-made sheets of metal with his ghost claws, making them perfect size and shape. Human rebel workers transferred the metal to the shell of the machine they were working on, and Otto, Gibson, and Sparx would weld them on in the proper place.

Nova wouldn't admit it, but as her hands flamed, melting the rock to produce the iron ore, she felt like she was adding a small personal touch to their new ship...

She smiled again as she remembered Otto's random idea several many hours ago. The machine being built was a dream then, but as she looked at the metal shell, she noticed the ship was finally beginning to take shape...

* * *

The two groups faced off against each other on the split of land called the Divide. Fire met ice, and the warm and cold winds slammed against each other, causing the wind all around the two groups to pick up. 

"So, it is true..." one of the leaders of the Red Army said slowly, gazing at the men and women in green. "There _is_ a rebel group..."

Before they could do anything, however, the Rebels attacked.

* * *

The true form of the Obliteration rose from the dead body of the king. It formed like smoke, the red eyes appearing to glare hatefully at the human. 

"I see you are capable of murder," it hissed, looking at the dead body.

Chiro glared right back. "He was meant to die anyway. May as well end it now."

The Obliteration blinked. Its eyes narrowed more, and it said, "Maybe I should take over your body."

Chiro grit his teeth. "I'd like to see you try."

As the ghost shot forward, Chiro grabbed something from around his neck. With his fingers curled around the pendant, it shot forward a large torrent of fire, scorching the Obliteration, causing it to reel back. Then, it was hit with a ray of freezing ice, which resulted in its arm freezing completely. The ice shattered after a moment, and the arm slowly regenerated.

It looked, shocked, at Chiro. His right arm was completely frozen, but it did not seem to bother him. The ice crystals formed over his fingers, still enabling him to move them with ease. (I guess you can say like Diamondhead from Ben 10, but with ice, and not just plain crystal.) His other arm was similarly effected, only this one was fire, instead of ice. (Okay, thing of Heatblast's arm only bulkier.) The pendant was around his neck, finally revealing itself—one half was part of a flame, the other half was part of a snowflake.

"What are you?" the Obliteration asked, shocked for the very first time.

Before it could do anything, however, Chiro attacked. His hands touched each other, and fire combined with ice to create...

Water.

The water seemed to grow, combining into a colossal tidal wave that ripped through the building, taking Chiro, bits and pieces of the building, and the Obliteration with it, running over the Land of Fire, and to the Divide...

* * *

Jinmay, clad in the respective green armor of the Rebels, extended her hand, allowing the missiles from her fingers to fly forth and blast into the Red Army. They scattered, some injured and looking for safety, some frightened by the missiles, for they had never seen them before. 

She noticed a pattern in the fighting techniques that each group used—the Rebels used more cunning and stealth, while the Red Army merely used brute force. It seemed like the Rebels were weaker and would be defeated easily, but that was not the case. The Red Army was being diminished before her eyes.

But all these thoughts were lost as a huge tidal wave—the very last thing she expected—roared through the battle, sweeping everyone away with it. She caught a glimpse of Chiro, and the dreaded black ghost she hated so much. Chiro actually dove into the crystal in the center of the circle, and it began to glow green...

* * *

YES!!! YES!! Finally done!

And, I suppose, the ice/fire thing was tacky, in my opinion, but I hope everyone liked it. Please review!!


	8. Hello Goodbye

**Obliterate**

* * *

Come on, all! I need more reviews!!

I was listening to a song by the band Hello Goodbye, and I thought that'd make a cool title. It makes sense, in a way...

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Hello Goodbye**

"Chiro!"

Jinmay's voice echoed out over the plains, where all was now silent. The centerpiece crystal was glowing a furious green, slowly shooting out beams of green light that soon extended to the sky.

"If this war won't end on terms of peaceful agreement," Chiro's voice could be heard saying, "then force is the only way!"

Some of the rebels looked at each other, then six remembered Chiro's oldest plan. They now silently agreed to his silent command, running to the crystals before fusing their energies with them, forever. Their bodies fell to the ground, lifeless.

The green light built up to a zenith, blinding everyone near it. Soon, a softer green light, though now invisible, shot straight across the divide, one inch on fire, one inch on ice. It built up all around the planet, like a belt, before returning to the place of its origin.

A force field. Courtesy of the Power Primate.

Chiro was roughly thrown out of his crystal, though the other humans weren't. Scarlet was among them. They were there, now, to maintain the force field.

Chiro landed harshly on the ground, his legs buckling beneath him. Jinmay rushed up to him, but before she could, something blocked her. She crashed into the cold, clammy body of the Obliteration. It looked down at her, glaring menacingly. It shoved its face right into hers, so close they were almost touching.

"With you out of the way, he shall have nothing to fight for," it said slowly, its icy breath chilling Jinmay's skin, despite her being a robot.

It raised a hand, forming it into a shadow sword. Bringing it down slowly, it watched as Jinmay closed her eyes in preparation...

But it never came. Jinmay opened her eyes to see...Chiro. He had taken the blow, stumbling back once more as the sword stabbed into his left shoulder blade. He grabbed his shoulder with one hand, as his arm hung limply, the nerve damaged.

"Chiro!" Jinmay shrieked.

Even with his shoulder and arm damaged, and his body weakened, Chiro still managed to charge straight at the Obliteration still threatening Jinmay, slamming his whole body into the ghost and throwing it to the ground. It hissed, and phased through the ground, sending Chiro stumbling again, where it finally vanished.

No one noticed Chiro's shadow darken.

Chiro stood there, panting, before reaching over with his injured arm to grab Jinmay's, pulling her up to her feet. Her stared at him for a long moment, before muttering; "Your arm."

Chiro waved it aside. "I'll be fine... We just need to leave. Now. Before the Obliteration manages to follow us again."

Jinmay nodded. "Wait, what about the people trapped underground?"

"They knew it could come to this," Chiro said quietly. "We need to go. Now!"

Suddenly, something burst through the ground, right near their feet, knocking them aside. Chiro, surprisingly, managed to stay conscious as his head slammed against the force field, sending a shock through his whole body. All his nerves went numb, and he couldn't move a muscle. His head and shoulder began to throb; the only thing his body could feel, and it _hurt_.

He blacked out. For how long, he didn't know. He saw Jinmay's face the next time he awoke, and a strange ship he had never seen before. He groaned as she pulled his uninjured arm. "C'mon, Chiro, we have to go!" she said, trying to pull him to his feet.

"Can't...move..." he was able to say.

Then, everything went black.

* * *

Jinmay panicked as Chiro's head fell to the side and his eyes closed. The force field behind him shimmered, but didn't do anything else. It seemed like water, but you couldn't put your hand through it, and it wasn't wet.

"Monkey Team!" she called desperately, lifting Chiro into her arms. "I need help!"

Help came in the form of Trent, who helped her carry Chiro to the ship. The monkeys took him from there, and Jinmay was about to jump in when she saw Trent, standing off to the side, sending a forlorn gaze at the force field-covered circle of crystals.

"Trent?" Jinmay asked. "What's wrong?"

He grit his teeth, not turning to face her. "It should've been me..." he whispered.

Jinmay suddenly remembered Scarlet, still trapped within the crystals for all eternity. "But it wasn't. No need dwelling on the past. She did it for the good of this world. I'm sure she still loves you."

Trent nodded, walking slowly away. Her last view of him was as he was walking along the Divide, trailing his hands over the new force field, the energy shimmering under his touch. Then, the ship closed and too off into space.

* * *

The ship was perfect. It was like a mini Super Robot (this brought back painful memories for Otto when Sparx mentioned this), and had a medical bay, a main control center, and six recharge chambers for the monkeys and Jinmay. Chiro was limited to a spare bed in the sick bay.

Chiro...

He seemed back to normal, like he used to be before the disband, as he was lying unconscious on the sick bay table, with his shirt, shoes and gloves removed. Antauri gazed at him, hovering in the air in a lotus position, his expression unreadable.

"What happened, Jinmay?" Gibson asked, breaking the silence. He took a short, simple glance at the robot girl on the opposite side of the table.

"The ghost..." she sobbed. "It stabbed him in the shoulder, threw him down...he hit his head on the force field and I think it shocked him—he's not—"

"He's alive," Gibson assured her. "We just have to wait. The scanners don't look so good."

_Neither does Chiro,_ the sapphire monkey admitted silently, looking at the boy's face. He looked horrible. Bruises and cuts covered his face, and almost all of his body. His shoulder was bandaged extensively, but Gibson had seen the wound beforehand. Let's just say he didn't want to be reminded... His head had suffered damage from the blow it took on the force field, and had to be bandaged up as well. This was probably the reason for his not being awake. The scanners indicated his body was slowly healing itself, with increased assistance from the mystical Power Primate.

Gibson had thought about that. Knowing computers so well, he saw the similarity between computers and the flesh beings that created them. A computer, though, can't have a personality (though the Super Robot could, he thought bluntly). He knew that computers—whether frequently or rarely—crash, at times, unknowingly destroying almost all files, which leaves one option in desperate cases: system restore. Living being sort of had a system restore in them, which is responsible for return them to normal when injured or if they come down with an illness. _**(This is my little thing I came up with. It sorta makes sense, if you think about it. Just thought I'd throw that in somewhere.)**_

Gibson clenched his eyes shut, allowing the random thoughts to trail off, and left the room. Jinmay watched him go, placing a hand on Chiro's forehead.

Metallic fingers swiftly wrapped around her hand and lifted it away from Chiro. She shot a startled look to Antauri, who placed the hand back at her side. "Let him sleep," the sterling simian said simply.

Jinmay nodded, gazing back once at Chiro, then leaving the room shrouded in darkness...

A figure lifted up from underneath the human. The glowing red eyes were menacing, and it reached over to place a hand over Chiro's heart. It felt it—faintly beating.

"You cannot fool me, human," the Obliteration hissed menacingly, yet it made no other move as it backed away. "Would you really betray your friends by dying now? Not now, when your life hangs on the thin string that was once their trust for you."

Chiro moaned, as if trying to respond, though he did not wake up. His hand twitched, and his brow furrowed, and the ghost wondered what he was dreaming.

Though the ghost held a burning desire to see the human dead, it couldn't yet. At the opportune moment, it would. Wait, it told itself.

And with that, it merged back into his shadow, cast on the ground.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang out.

The Obliteration blinked. Had it set off the alarm? It hoped not. But, of course, they couldn't see it, hidden within the human's shadow...

A rumbling was felt, and the Obliteration realized it was something happening outside, something it couldn't see taking place in outer space (that rhymed!) that set off the alarm.

Someone came in the dark room.

The ghost couldn't tell what it was or who it was, for its eyes were closed so no one would see it. Then, the person stepped on the shadow Chiro cast partially onto the ground, grinding a heel, unknowingly, into the Obliteration's face. It scowled silently—this was the lowest of lows!—but it stayed put.

"Chiro?" a soft voice said.

The ghost didn't recognize the voice. Its brow furrowed in thought.

"Well, even though you're asleep, I'll talk to ya anyways." The person sighed. "I hope you're okay. All those years with you away changed me lots. I really missed you, and I just...couldn't cope, I guess. All I could have was Sparx and Nova, and I didn't want to leave them. I would just break down again. This is really unlike me to say this, but...yeah. So, don't leave us again, please?"

Chiro made no sound except for breathing out, and that seemed good enough for whoever was talking. "Good," he said.

Then, the figure left. The ghost, daring, opened one eye, squinting as it saw an emerald green robotic monkey leave the room and shut the door.

Then, the ghost elapsed returned to 3-D form and gazed at the door. The green one, it thought, must be close to the human.

It grinned evilly and slinked under the door...

Chiro's eyes snapped open.

* * *

Otto happily skipped to another section of the large ship, running his hands along the metal. Even he couldn't believe that this ship was built in mere days. But it was perfect, he knew, for them now.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew in his face. He looked up just in time to see a black shadow rising from the floor.

Otto pointed. "You're—you're...that thing!"

The ghost scoffed. "I am not a 'thing', you fool! I am the Obliteration."

Otto shrugged, apparently not intimidated. "Eh, never would've guessed."

This made the ghost mad. "You are indeed powerful..." it hissed. Otto took a step back. "Maybe I should kill _you_ first..."

With that, it formed its hand into a sword, rearing back, and then bringing it down on the green monkey...

* * *

Yeah, here's a message for you all.

_Memoirs_ got deleted, so I am removing all oneshots with song lyrics in them and reposting it as _**Memoirs – The Afterlife**_

I hope people will review again, because I'd like that. I'm also gonna do another _Memoirs_ called _**Memoirs – V.2**_. Also review on that one.


	9. Ready To Fall

**Obliterate**

* * *

Sorry, Otto fans, for what you thought I did in the last chapter. I would never truly kill anyone in the Hyperforce, except for the bad guys, and maybe an OC.

_**Language warning! Some cursing on Chiro's behalf. I would do the same if I were him.**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Ready To Fall**

Velina whirled around on the spot as a soft humming sound caught her attention. What she saw surprised her. The Shadow Stronghold—fully rebuilt. But how?

_You released the Obliteration..._ a voice said. _You will pay for your insolence._

A white beam emerged, and wrapped around the witch's wrist. She cackled evilly, and shot a black beam of dark energy at the stone.

But it did nothing.

Her eyes widened as the energy seemed to climb up her arm and finally fully engulf her in white light. Then, she was forcibly sucked into the stone...

The stone flashed white once.

* * *

An old man walked through the ruins of the city. Humans hid in the shadows, wondering if he was the thing that had done thing to their beloved city. The man kept walking, his gnarled piece of wood serving as a cane.

He approached a section of the city with something unique. A pile of scrap metal, lying on the ground. It almost seemed like a jet, but it wasn't anymore.

"Found you," the old man chuckled. He raised a withered hand, allowing the magic to build up and encase his arm. The magic transferred to the used-to-be ship, engulfing it in green light.

The pieces of metal rejuvenated themselves, reforming to their former glory as the ship began to rebuild itself...

* * *

The sword slashed him across the chest, creating a huge gash. Otto fell to the ground, gasping for air. The ghost chuckled. "Strong as you may be, simian, you cannot defeat me."

Then, it raised up the hand again, ready for a final blow. Otto closed his eyes...

But nothing happened.

Otto dared to open his eyes to see what happened. What he saw shocked him.

The ghost was frozen, with a lightning bolt-like spear piercing it through where its heart would be in a normal person. Its hands had returned to normal, and it now turned around, facing the being that had attacked it.

Chiro.

He held up his hands and yelled, "Monkey Fu!!"

The bright green energy engulfed the Obliteration, causing it to scream in pain. It held its hands out in front of it, finally cancelling out the attack.

But something else happened. Otto was over by Chiro, who was now kneeling on the ground. They both looked up at the ghost had white light play over its body, causing it to reel back.

"No!" it shouted.

It then phased through one of the walls.

The others finally came, startled by the ruckus, and approached them warily. Antauri went over and helped Chiro to stand.

"What happened?" Gibson demanded, more worried than mad.

"The ghost thing came and attacked me," Otto said, still gasping for air, blood running down his chest and staining his metal hands as he held them over the wound. "Then Chiro was there fighting it off! It just started glowing white and it flew off."

"How?" Jinmay asked, running up to Chiro and hugging him. "When I last saw you, you weren't even close to waking up."

Suddenly, the alarm went off once again. Chiro didn't seem to notice, even when the shuddering began, as he was still doubled over in pain. Otto was next to him, his bloodied hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder.

* * *

The Obliteration took another slash at the fuel cells again, the brownish liquid flowing out and around, splashing it in the face.

It grinned in triumph. The planet below would be perfect. It had seen it. Jungles. Nothing but jungles all over. It would find them, attack, and kill them.

* * *

Everyone yelled as they were thrown against walls and the ceiling, Chiro and Otto knocked out by the force of the blow. The ship descended through the unknown planet's atmosphere, the outer shell bursting into flames but refusing to be destroyed.

"_Prepare for crash-landing on unknown planet,"_ the computers said.

* * *

Two cobalt eyes opened in the darkness of the ship, vaguely illuminating the darkness. They looked around, before they fell on the still bodies of his teammates.

It took a while, but Antauri managed to awaken the others. Otto remained unconscious, and nothing could wake him up.

Chiro, though, survived the crash. He had only a few new bruises, plus the others he originally had. He slowly got up, grimacing as he looked around. The only person he saw was Jinmay, knocked out not too far from him.

He slowly crawled over and laid a hand on her arm. She didn't stir. He sighed and stood up, picking her limp body up and cradling her in his arms. He carried her out of the room.

The monkeys looked up to see Chiro walking past with Jinmay in his arms. Gibson was surprised her could even lift the robot girl, with his arm and shoulder injured.

Chiro carefully set Jinmay down on a soft surface, one of the sick bay beds, and sat on the ground.

"You okay, Chiro?" Sparx asked, as he and the others approached carefully.

Chiro buried his face in his hands and mumbled, "I hate my life... I just wanna go home..."

The team thought it would be best to leave him alone for the moment.

* * *

It had been a long time, and nothing could wake Jinmay up. Otto had come to, and he said her systems had shut down.

For now.

The team had made a camp on the unknown world next to their ship, which was a bit damaged from the second crash in the past two weeks. Chiro had left the camp a few hours ago, and his screams could be heard through the night. No one knew what he was doing, but it was obvious he was on the edge. They could hear him cursing, yelling to the heavens, and destroying things in the distance. Somewhere, a tree fell with a loud _crack!_

Gibson suddenly screeched.

Everyone looked over in his direction, where he was leaning against a tree, looking at...a bug. There was a rather large beetle on the ground, and it was staring at him with blank eyes.

"I _despise_ bugs!" the blue monkey shouted. He waved his foot, trying to shoo the bug away.

"Still afraid of buggies, eh Gibson?" Otto said as he approached, winking. He picked up the beetle and looked at it. "Bugs are cute!"

"They're horrid," Gibson retorted, taking a wide berth around Otto to get back to the others. Otto just shrugged and tossed the bug back into the brush.

* * *

"_Dammit!"_

Chiro swung his leg, electricity crackling along his shoe, and threw it into a tree. The truck immediately gave into the pressure, cracking, sending the whole tree falling to the forest floor.

He fell to his knees, pounding a fist on the ground. "I'm such an ass. _I_ let them all get into this. _I_ got them all hurt. _I_ dragged them into my business." His gaze darkened. "_**I**_ got Jinmay killed."

* * *

No, this is not the end I was talking about. What kind of person would I be to end it here, with Jinmay's (insignificant) death?

_A normal fanfictioner._

But I'm not. There will be a new chapter, but keep in mind I haven't even started it yet.

Sorry for those of you with sensitive ears who don't like cursing, but if you were Chiro, you'd be screaming curse words at the top of your lungs. Trust me. I would. Anyways, sorry. If you're mad, there's a warning at the beginning of the chapter. Why do you think this is rated T, besides the blood and killings coming up.

_**Read my new Ben 10 fanfiction, fans of the show! It's called Halloween Horrors, starring our favorite evil alien, Ghostfreak!**_


	10. I'm Sorry for Not Telling You the Truth

**Obliterate**

* * *

Yes, indeed, I hath killed Jinmay! Sorry for Jinmay fans! She was weak, and must be eliminated. For now.

And here's a twist! In the chapter! Chapter Ten! Of Obliterate!

Oh, just read.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: I'm Sorry for Not Telling You the Truth**

The human citizens of Shuggazoom City all emerged from the ruins, all thinking the same thought. This may be the end, but it was also a beginning.

They would rebuild Shuggazoom City, to more than its former glory, and await the return of the Hyperforce. The old man had taught them that.

Then, with the Super Robot standing tall above the city, they went to work.

* * *

Chiro wandered aimlessly through the woods, somehow ending back up at the came just as Antauri asked, "Where's Chiro?"

"I'm here," he muttered slowly, sitting down on the ground a ways away from the fire the team had made. He was once again wearing a black cloak, the hood up and barely covering his eyes.

No one mention the parts of his outburst they had heard. They all sat there, in silence, all lost in their own thoughts.

"So..." Nova asked carefully. "Did you check up on Jinmay?"

Chiro's gaze became dark, and Nova visibly flinched. "She won't be joining us for the big fight," was all Chiro said and did.

Gibson looked at him. "What do you mean by that?" he inquired.

"What do you think?" Chiro snapped. "She's dead, Gibson. **Dead**. And it's all my fault."

Antauri was next to him now, his metallic hand on the boy's shoulder. "Would she really want this? She wouldn't want you to blame yourself, or anything of the sort. All we have is each other, and we need to stick together."

Chiro looked up, and pulled the hood off, staring Antauri in the eye. His own blue eyes pierced through the simian's soul, and he almost backed away.

Not yet.

"This is my fight now, Antauri," Chiro said, quietly, the wind picking up around the camp. "This is personal now. The Obliteration killed Jinmay. It killed her. That won't go without revenge."

"Why do you always assume something is your fight?" The soft voice of Otto brought everyone's attention. The green monkey continued. "Jinmay was our friend too. This is all our fight, Chiro. We're the Hyperforce. Or have you forgotten?"

Chiro seemed to glare, then he looked down. No one could see the expression on his face. Antauri leaned down. "Chiro?"

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Chiro finally moved.

A nod.

"I guess I have," he whispered.

* * *

The old man looked at the giant robot, a smile on his face.

"There you go, you magnificent machine," he said quietly. The Robot's outer shell gleamed in the sun, and it looked down at him. "I have done all I can for you and Shuggazoom. Go. Find them. Help them."

The Super Robot was silent for a minute, before arching its arms above his head, and the jets began to fire up. The Super Robot was propelling into space, the interior filled with a beeping sound as the scanners began to find its friends...

The old man's smile broadened, and then he frowned. He looked to direction of the Zone of Wasted Years, and in the direction he knew was the circle of stones he knew had the portal to the netherworld.

The boy would go there, most likely.

* * *

Chiro had left again, in the direction he had came out of the woods. That was two hours ago. Where was he?

Antauri concentrated on the Power Primate to try and find him. To his surprise, he didn't sense Chiro anywhere on the planet. Even with Chiro masking his energy, he should've felt...something. But he felt nothing.

Just emptiness. Everywhere.

He hated it.

But someone else hated it more.

Then, Sparx spoke. "Hey, where's Otto?"

* * *

Chiro, wearing a black cloak and hidden in shadow, looked back in the direction he had come. He saw the black smoke rising up from the clearing the team was at, even at night.

Sighing, he continued walking. Without looking back, he felt a rumble behind him.

The short figure next to him gazed back as well. "We need to help them!" he said.

"No," Chiro said, shaking his head. "I need to show you something, because if I don't show someone, you won't ever trust me again. Then you'll wish I was dead." He chuckled at that. _Oh, damn irony._

He payed the explosion no attention as the shadows swallowed them up, and their forms seemed to vanish like they were blown away in the wind...

* * *

"What happened?" Antauri asked, helping Nova off the ground.

Gibson coughed, trying to clear his lungs. "I-I don't know! The ship—the battery—it just blew up!!"

"It's that ghost thing again," Sparx growled. "Chiro knew it was coming and he left!"

"Where is Otto?" Nova asked, coughing violently.

Gibson looked around, wiping soot off his face. "I...I'm not sure..."

"Otto!!" Sparx yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Antauri closed his eyes and concentrated once more. "I sense...Otto is not in this dimension..."

"Where is he?" Nova asked.

Antauri blinked. "He's in the spirit realm."

"Did he..._die_?" Nova asked fearfully.

Antauri looked at her, sorrow in his eyes. "I don't know."

* * *

"Whoa..." Otto whispered, looking around. "Where are we?"

Chiro chuckled at his friend's astonishment. He then grinned sadly, and looked around. Otto noticed his forlorn gaze, and met his friend's eyes. "Chiro?"

Chiro wiped his face with his sleeve, getting rid of the tears. "Otto, know that everything I've done was with good intentions," he said softly. "I never meant to hurt anyone, kill anyone, but hard as I try, nothing can hide the truth."

"Truth?" Otto echoed. He felt this was bad.

"Otto...I don't really know how to put this... You may not believe me, but... This realm is my home, now."

"I...don't...understand..." Otto cocked his head.

Chiro kneeled down to him. "I mastered the Power Primate. I can do what no other master can. I knew something like this would happen, and no matter what, I had to protect you guys.

"But the power came at a price. A really, really steep price. One I had to pay for the better."

"W-What price?" Otto asked, scared.

Chiro let out a shaky breath. "My life."

"W-What? I...I-I'm confused."

Chiro closed his eyes. "Otto, the power...the Power Primate...it killed me."

And Otto fainted. Chiro's words came back to him.

_Then you'll wish I was dead..._

* * *

That's the twist!

I'm not gonna kill him at the end. I've got a whole better idea. But, yeah, Chiro died from the energy of the true Power Primate invading his body and consuming it. It didn't do it in a bad way. It's hard to understand. If you don't understand, PM me.


	11. Ichiro

**Obliterate**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Ichiro**

_I only told you. Tell the others, if you wish. I just didn't know how to break it to them. Of course, Antauri is the one I trust most. Telling him about my...situation...is hard. What do I tell him? 'Antauri, I died because I tried to master the Power Primate, like you told me to.' No._

_I am nothing more than a lost soul, waiting._

_Even as I speak, me soul fades into oblivion. I have not much time. I have just enough power left to take out the Obliteration, then there isn't anything else I can do for anyone anymore. I will be nothing._

_**The Chosen One is obsolete.**_

* * *

Otto's eyes snapped open. He was sitting down on the ground. He looked down, seeing green stuff, like green clouds, beneath him.

He was sitting on the canopy of the forest. A bird flew past him, chirping.

He yelled, wrapping his tail around himself. It was startling ending up this high up. Not that he was afraid of heights...

He heard voices. "Otto?" It was Nova! "Otto, where are you?"

Otto jumped down, landing in front of Nova (who has Gibson with her). She gasped, then ran forward and hugged him.

"Otto, where have you been?" Gibson asked. "You've been gone for a whole day."

Otto blinked. "A whole day?" he repeated. "But...that's impossible... I was just gone for a few minutes..."

Nova pulled away, looking him up and down. "You look different," she remarked. Then, she looked around. "Where's Chiro?"

Otto blinked once more, memories flooding back to him. The death of the Chosen One, the reason, the truth of everything...

Otto shook his head, wavering under the gazes of both Gibson and Nova, but steadying himself as he said, "There's nothing more we can do for him."

Nova's horrified look broke his heart, but then, something happened. He felt a rumble shake the ground, and apparently Gibson and Nova noticed it too. It felt familiar, but...

"No..." Otto said. "It can't be!"

"Hey guys!!" Sparx's voice drifted to them. "Look who we found!"

And Sparx and Antauri approached them, both in their respective seats of the Super Robot.

* * *

"How is this possible?" the ghost said darkly, watching the Super Robot walk slowly through the woods, crushing trees underfoot. "I destroyed it. Yet here it is, good as new. How is this possible?"

It allowed an evil grin to flow across its face. "No matter. The boy is dead. All I have left to do is destroy the rest of them, and my job is complete."

* * *

Otto's white pupils formed little hearts. "Super Robot!!" he yelled, charging forward past Gibson and Nova to grab onto the Robot's right foot, kissing the metal. "You're back!! But how?"

Sparx and Antauri exited the Robot out of the left foot. "I don't know," Sparx answered, shrugging. "We were looking for you and it suddenly rounded a hill."

Otto hugged the foot of the Robot. "Who rebuilt you?" he asked the machinder.

Then, it answered. A single high-pitched whistle, a word, a name.

_**Alchemist.**_

The one who restored its body, and its honor.

* * *

A lone figure ran through the woods, arms extended to the back for better speed and balance. His orange scarf blew in the wind, his grey boots clamping over the underbrush, his cheeks flushed red from the cold and the effort of running. He jumped over fallen trees and over small creeks. As he ran into an open field, he stopped and looked up. It was nighttime again, and stars littered the deep blue sky. But he had no time to watch them. He saw a shooting star, but to his keen eyes, sharpened by years of intense training, he saw it was a robot, flying through the sky, with five robot monkeys inside.

"So," the boy whispered. "He finally did it."

He closed his eyes and concentrated. He saw the monkeys inside. The green one, his face forlorn as he relived what his best friend had told him in the spirit world.

The yellow one, beating the hell out of a punching bag in her room. Trying to forget.

The blue and red ones. Both silent, which was odd. Wondering if the emerald one had told the truth, and if their friend really was gone.

Then, the silver one. The spirit could vaguely see the outline of a black robot monkey within him, but that part of him was long gone. He was meditating, probably trying to find his Chosen One.

But he knew. Oh, he always knew. If anything, the truth came to him, long ago.

Maybe, if he knew the whole truth.

It wasn't the simian's fault. The boy was always meant to die. Everyone is, but his would serve a special purpose in fate itself. He was supposed to die.

But not forever.

He shook his head, clearing the images out of his mind. He looked back to the sky; the giant robot was gone.

All was well, he thought. At least, for now. He closed his eyes, and his form evanesced, blown away in the wind. A single silent whisper, a word, a name.

_**Velina.**_

The one who had freed this demon of hell.

* * *

Two sea-green eyes opened in the darkness, accompanied by the sound of a machine whirring. The thing the eyes belonged to slowly sat up, groaning.

She had no time to comprehend her survival as a voice hit her.

_**So...you **_**are**_** alive. My little plan didn't work, but you will help me to lure the Hyperforce to me...**_

She screamed.

* * *

No one could beat it. It was already on Shuggazoom. Sensing the Hyperforce's plans, it had returned to the city of the Hyperforce's origin. There, it would destroy them, and slaughter every living being on the planet.

The Obliteration grinned evilly. Oh, this would be so easy, it thought. With the boy gone, the Power Primate broken, they would have merely an easy-to-destroy robot to defend themselves.

It glanced behind it, at the broken, battered, and currently unconscious robot girl. She would help it, for now. But after, it would kill her. Tear apart her delicate body, as it would the Hyperforce's.

Their screams of pain and death filled its head as the Super Robot came to a landing in Shuggazoom City.

It spoke. A single hissed statement, a word, a name.

_**Obliterate.**_

And it would.

But it didn't notice the figure watching it from the horizon...

It only noticed the Robot, the monkeys—

And the moon. Its murderous eyes reflected the full moon's glow...

* * *

No notes here. Just the story, coming to an end. The final battle is coming up, and I intend to make it as detailed and...Breathtaking...as I can.

Sorry, Jinmay haters—I had to bring her back! She may or may not be killed at the end, depending on reviews (hint, hint).

And as for Chiro...He's dead. For good. For now. He's like a spirit, unable to pass on until something favorable happens. Like a wandering spirit.


	12. You Live, You May Learn

**Obliterate**

* * *

No comment here. Not the fighting chapter, the before-the-beating chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: You Live, You May Learn**

_Velina growled. She could only hope the demon she released would do as she commanded, and her revenge was being taken as she sat there, in nothingness._

_Inside the Shadow Stronghold, it was all one had to keep oneself from going crazy and losing themselves in the darkness. Velina had no such fear._

_A mock giggling sound ricocheted off the 'walls' of her imprisonment. A soft, sweet voice spoke._

This is what you get for defying the Shadow Lord, witch.

_And then it laughed, and laughed, and laughed..._

* * *

Humans murmured at they saw the Super Robot, easing through the atmosphere, landing near the edge of the city, where Chiro had first found it. The metal gleamed in the darkness, and the humans' cheers rang out through the night.

The Hyperforce was back.

But, they all noticed the lonely looks on the faces of the Hyperforce as the five monkeys stepped out of the Robot at the foot, unaccompanied by their female robotic savior, and Chosen One boy hero.

* * *

Sparx placed a hand on Nova's shoulder, noticing her expressionless look that told him everything. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly.

She nodded slowly. "Well, I mean, we've known Chiro for years, we break up the team, finally reunite, only to find out he's been dead for two years. It's kind of hard to accept."

Sparx nodded with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Well, it was his decision. Otto said he would still be here for us, even if he is dead."

Nova sniffed loudly, nodding once again. They all looked to the horizon, waiting.

* * *

The Obliteration was no longer a ghost-like thing.

It had taken on the appearance of a boy, and Jinmay hated that. She hated to admit, it looked like Chiro now. Only his whole body was pitch black, aside from the red eyes. The hair was a bit longer than Chiro's, slid back down to its shoulder blades.

Jinmay writhed in the bonds it had created from her shadow, feeling useless. The boy—no, the demon—looked at her, grinning.

"Feeling sorry for yourself, dear?" it asked, walking over to her and kneeling next to her. "Too bad. I wouldn't have to do this... You could join me, and we could rule the universe." It slowly trailed a cold shadow hand over her cheek gently.

Jinmay scooted away. "Never on my life," she growled, her teeth clenched.

The boy had a look of false longing in its eyes as it turned away. "Aw, too bad...looks like I'll have to kill you after this is all over." It turned and kneeled beside her again. "Take a pick, my dear—to join me, or die."

Jinmay moved away, seething anger building up inside her.

"I'd rather die."

* * *

Antauri closed his eyes. It was still hard to believe the Chosen One—_his_ Chosen One—had died. And at the hands of the same energy the silver primate had spent years to learn how to control, not even master.

But Chiro knew. Oh, he always knew. He knew that he would die, and he followed Antauri's orders nonetheless.

A true friend, fighting to the death.

But he still didn't understand. If Chiro had died, the Power Primate would have left him and returned to the World of Its Origin, Koraladoll. But, for some reason, it remained with him, even in spirit.

The same as it had done when Antauri died.

Flashes of that day played through Antauri's mind. He also saw the last night he saw Chiro before he left.

"_You must become one with the Power Primate, Chiro."_

_The boy had stalked away. "Maybe I will," he whispered._

A hidden hint. Oh, he always knew. Yes, he did.

"_Chiro? Chiro, let me in. This isn't funny."_

"_I'm not laughing, Antauri."_

He was clever.

And the picture frame, how it shattered...

Chiro had left everything behind when he ran off. But all in good intentions; none to hurt anyone. He would never do that.

But, more importantly, he left _himself_ behind.

Literally.

* * *

"Hey, Gibson?"

Gibson turned as Otto's soft voice was heard. "Yes, Otto?"

Otto shuffled his feet nervously. "Well, um... What do we do, after all this? About Chiro? The team?"

Gibson let out a sigh. "I'm not sure. For once, I have no answers. We'll just have to wait...and see what the night brings."

Otto gazed at the horizon. "What do you think it'll bring?" he asked softly, almost too low to be heard.

Gibson followed his gaze, sighing. "An end to this Obliteration nonsense, and, most likely, a death."

In the distance, a wolf howled.

* * *

He gazed at his now near-transparent body, looking at the tattered clothes and torn boots. His gloves were also worn out, from years of use. At least, a year.

It took him a year to master the Power Primate. As soon as he did, he died. Murdered by the very power he had sworn to control.

And he didn't care.

His power had thus grown. But it wasn't about power anymore. His recent escape from the spirit realm enabled him to be reunited with his friends—his family. He had missed them...but he was hurting them now, more than ever.

All because of one mistake—one lie.

All because of him.

All this was his fault.

His mistake.

And he would pay the price.

And he already did.

* * *

Okay, this wasn't the breathtaking chapter! But, I promise, it will be breathtaking when they start fighting! Breathtaking like sticking a vacuum into your mouth (did that once, don't ask). 


	13. Unlucky Luck

**Obliterate**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Unlucky Luck**

They all stared ahead as the wind stopped blowing, and the air became deathly still. This could be the last time any of them ever saw life, but they didn't care.

Revenge. On the ghost. For killing Jinmay. And revenge for Chiro—abandoning hope in the Power Primate.

They all blinked in unison as they saw a familiar missile explosion, followed by a figure flying towards them.

Jinmay.

* * *

The Obliteration reeled back away from the flames, and the girl. She was standing up now, unrestrained and dangerous. Her eyes were glowing pink, and she blasted an energy beam from them, catching it on the arm.

"Ah!" the demon screeched, clutching its arm. It glared at the girl, red eyes blazing.

Jinmay didn't want to stick around to see what it had in store for her. Holding up her hand, she shot the missiles out of her fingers, all of them meeting their mark, creating a dust cloud around the demon. She turned and ran, her foot rockets kicking in and boosting her into the air.

* * *

Nova stared. "J-Jinmay?" she asked incredulously, watching as the robot girl lowered herself onto the Robot's foot. "You're alive?"

Jinmay nodded. "I was captured by that ghost, brought here, but I just escaped. I think it followed me, though."

No one noticed her shadow.

She looked around. Sparx, Gibson, Nova, Antauri, Otto…

"Where's Chiro?" she asked, hopeful.

At once, each monkey looked down, refusing to meet her eye. Only Antauri stood forward, and she looked deep into his eyes. Her own widened.

"Did that thing…kill him?" she asked slowly.

Antauri shook his head, still refusing to speak.

"In a way," Gibson said softly and slowly, "he killed himself."

Jinmay stared. "Are you saying he committed suicide?" she questioned. It seemed so unlike Chiro to do that.

Nova shook her head, but it was Antauri who answered her. "No… He mastered the Power Primate. That was his suicide."

No one said anything long after that.

Then, it happened.

The Obliteration rose up from the ground, leaving Jinmay _without_ a shadow. In a fraction of a second, she slumped to the ground. All eyes turned her way, wide.

The Obliteration morphed its hand into a large sword-like weapon, taking slashes at the Hyperforce. Everyone reeled back, jetpacks powering up, tossing them into the air.

"Why are you doing this?" Nova demanded, wanting to know so badly.

The answer was sketchy. "I will tell you. For a millennia, I was trapped on the Shadow World, inside a cursed stone created by the Shadow Lord to keep in my powers. Long had I awaited release, until it finally happened. I was freed—by Velina, the Skull Witch.

"I had heard of you. The Hyperforce." It made a mock sad face. "A shame to hear about your leader. It would've been pleasurable to end his life with one quick stab through the heart, but, alas, he ended it himself…"

Antauri clenched his teeth. "He was a great leader and friend," he said quietly. "You have no right to insult him."

"Oh, I have any and all rights," the demon said, leaning towards the silver monkey, its sword-hand uncomfortably close. "Try and stop me."

And it attacked.

* * *

He rubbed the back of his head. The wound was gone, from slamming against the force field on Icire. The wound on his shoulder was gone as well, leaving no scar.

Chiro gazed to the sky, looking at the moon. Then, a screech alerted his attention.

He looked to see the Obliteration taking a slash at Nova. The golden monkey had no time to dodge, getting to slashes on her stomach, cutting into her ribs, forcing her back, she lay on the ground.

_Chiro's fist clenched._

The Obliteration took another swipe at the oncoming Sparx, who screamed, "You monster!!" He had time to dodge the blow, and the demon instead caught Jinmay—right on the face. She screamed and fell back, holding her face and electricity flashed along her body.

_Chiro took a step forward._

The Obliteration spun around, extending its sword-arm, and each of the standing monkey took a leap backwards, barely avoiding the blow.

"Spin Shocker!" Gibson yelled, shooting out the attack from his drills. The demon merely grinned at the attack bounced off harmlessly.

The Obliteration laughed—a dry sound. "You're attacks cannot harm me!"

Chiro grit his teeth. _Maybe not yours,_ he thought.

With that, he ran.

* * *

The Obliteration laughed a he looked at Antauri, the only of the Hyperforce still standing (kneeling on the ground). The others were on the ground, injured severely and unable to move. Antauri would be next.

As the demon raised the sword-hand, ready to strike, something happened.

Something came and crashed into it at blinding speed, forcing the blade of the sword into the side of its face and knocking it back. It screeched loudly before managing to right itself.

Chiro was crouched on the ground, facing away. He slowly stood and faced the Obliteration, a supernatural glint in his eyes. He got into a battle pose.

"I may be dead," Chiro said bluntly, "but I can still stop you from hurting anyone else!"

The Obliteration hissed, charging forward. Chiro's body became mist and vaporized, forming back again after the demon had passed. They did that again, and Chiro smirked.

Antauri stood warily, waiting for the demon to turn around and strike at him. It never did. It didn't even seem to remember the silver monkey, who was on the edge of death.

Chiro pressed his hands together, gathering a blinding green light. He struck his hands outward, shouting, "Monkey Fu!!" The green energy blast struck the demon on the arm, tearing part of it off, the attack destroying the shadow it was made of.

The Obliteration fell to its knees, hissing. It gazed up at Chiro, who made no further move to attack.

"So, this is how it ends," Chiro whispered.

"Yes…" the Obliteration hissed, extending its sword hand. "With you, dead, unable to defend your teammates."

Chiro grinned. "I may be dead," he said, taking a step forward, "but I remember a law of physics saying, 'Every action has an equal and opposite reaction'…"

The demon blinked.

Chiro stepped forward, and the demon took a step back. "You do _not_ wanna make me mad…" Chiro hissed, walking forward slowly.

The ground beneath his feet began to glow green, and the emerald energy built up into his hands. The monkeys all gasped as their bodies began to glow green, the energy going from them…to their leader.

Chiro's body began to glow green, and his form levitated inches off the ground. The Obliteration made a move to strike at him, only for its whole arm to be destroyed by the subconscious green energy surrounding the Chosen One.

Chiro glared hatefully at the demon spirit. The Power Primate continued to draw from the others to his ghostly form, enhancing his power…

Each member of the Hyperforce grew still…and Chiro attacked.

Jinmay watched with frightful eyes. A huge burst of energy pulsated outwards, slamming into the demon and forcing it backwards. The energy burst went further outwards, before rebounding backwards off nothing. The energy met at Chiro, and spread into the sky, like a funnel. Chiro flew upwards, looking down with blazing green eyes. He threw his arms forward, and the energy flew past him, into the Obliteration.

The demon's body split in places, revealing green light—the Power Primate, destroying it from within. With a shriek, its body burst, shards of shadow flying out, into the sky. One went to Jinmay, returning her shadow and enabling her to move. The others went into space—unknown to the Hyperforce, back to the stone that had trapped it.

A dust cloud had risen, and from it, pieces of green light emanated, flying into each member of the Hyperforce. Though their energy was returned, they still felt drained. They all strained to see what had become of their leader.

More light shone, nearly blinding them. The roar of the Power Primate could faintly be heard.

A silhouette appeared in the dust and smoke. It stumbled forward…and revealed itself.

Chiro.

He slowly walked out through the smoke, limping, a weary look on his face. He looked up—Antauri's heart stopped. Everyone noticed how his body no longer had the faintness it did when he first appeared to fight the Obliteration. His eyes were once again shining sapphires…

He fell to his knees, swaying. The last thing he saw was Jinmay, running up to him, before everything went black…

* * *

Okay, maybe not as good as the Skeleton Prince stories. I tried my best without making them a bit the same. I hope it was good, but I'm not sure...

And, the next chapter is coming up!

PS: I have a new story already planned for SRMTHFG. I've had it for quite some time. Thanks to **You'veBeenJayed**, you'll all, maybe, get to see a new, before-the-time installment to the _Disaster Trilogy_…


	14. One Last Dance

**Obliterate**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: One Last Dance**

Chiro slowly opened his eyes, a wave of pain coursing through his body. He groaned, and a scream was heard.

"Guys!" A female's voice. "He's waking up!!"

He opened his eyes to see a girl with pink hair and stunning green eyes staring down at him, relief in her emerald eyes. She smiled radiantly.

_Who…who are you?_ Chiro asked in his mind, unsure of this girl.

He saw a sight that confused him—monkeys; not real monkeys but cybernetic ones. They were different colors; red, blue, yellow, green and silver. They all had the same faces the girl had—it was odd he could tell, for monkeys.

He slowly tried to sit up, and the girl and the blue monkey hesitantly tried to help him the rest of the way. He forced them away before they could touch him, and they backed off.

"Chiro?" yellow monkey spoke, sounding worried.

He looked at all of them. "Who…who are you?" he asked, repeating the question that screamed in his mind.

The monkeys all glanced at each other, whispering hurriedly.

"He…doesn't…remember?" the green monkey asked.

"Remember what?" Chiro asked slowly.

The monkeys and the girl crowded around him, speaking all at once. Their hands reached out in unison, glowing with invisible green energy… His eyes widened.

"Chiro." The silver one spoke in a firm tone.

"You must remember; please!" the blue one announced.

"C'mon, buddy!" the green one shouted, almost crying.

"You need to remember, kid!" the red one said.

"Chiro?" the yellow monkey repeated, worry lacing her voice.

"Chiro!" the girl yelled, on the verge of tears.

_Chiro._

_Please, Chiro, you have to remember!_

_We can't lose ya like this, Chiro!_

_C'mon, kid, you're too strong!_

_Please, Chiro!_

_Chiro!_

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to shut out the pleading. Their hands settled onto his shoulders at the same time, and then…he felt like he was on fire.

His body was engulfed in green flames, his body being lifted into the air, and he let out a tortured scream. All but the silver monkey stepped back; all but the silver one unable to see the flames. He screamed more, his eyes glowing, the pain torturing…

And all went silent. Chiro was dropped back onto the table. His eyes opened, swirling dizzily, and he groaned.

"Chiro?" Jinmay asked worriedly. She leaned forward.

Chiro turned his head weakly towards her. "J-Jinmay?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

Jinmay nearly screamed with happiness, encasing Chiro in a near suffocating hug. He gingerly hugged her back.

The monkeys stepped forward and Jinmay finally pulled away. Otto was the first to act, jumping up onto the table and hugging Chiro tightly, with strength none knew he had. The others all joined in the group hug, happy he was back.

Alive.

* * *

Velina was shocked to see two blood-red eyes open in the nothingness she was trapped in. Then, she grinned. Her demon had accomplished its task and had returned to free its Master.

She soon learned otherwise.

A tight, suffocating grasp was held on her, and she struggled to breathe as she heard a voice.

_You lied, Skull Witch. Do you know what happens to those who lie to the __**Obliteration**_

She breathed out—her last breath.

_They…die._

A sickening crack could be heard, followed by a scream…but none could hear, save for the demon trapped in the stone.

* * *

_He learned power came with responsibility._

_Though he had mastered the Power Primate, he was killed abruptly. It didn't stop his training. He continued, mastering it beyond the grave._

_He had died without leaving behind a body—the Power Primate took it with his life. It 'ignored' him as he continued his training with the mystical energy._

_A force told him his friends were coming back together. Drawn by the hope to see them one last time before his spirit faded into oblivion, he returned._

_Then, the Obliteration came. After its defeat, Chiro regarded it as another mere test of his abilities—one that brought his life back, his mortal for revived—with all his Power Primate abilities. It had erased his memory, but the magical force of all the members of the Hyperforce coming in contact with him at once was enough to shatter that effect._

_The time he had been injured, on Icire, he came so close to almost revealing the truth. It was all he had to force the computers to actually obtain a reading on his bio-signature, so as to not arouse suspicion._

_He stayed with the Hyperforce. He became less secretive, like he was for the past few years, and was always cheery. In battles, he didn't attack so vigorously, and let his teammates get in a few hits._

_Shuggazoom was rebuilt, with the help of the Hyperforce, anew. The city was brighter than it had been upon the disband of the Hyperforce, and everyone praised their return._

_The Super Robot also was fully repaired, by the 'spirit of the Alchemist' (which was all it would tell them)._

_Chiro meditated with Antauri every day, improving even more each time. Though on the outside he was cheery, his concentration was intense—if it was a physical thing, the weight would've crushed the planet._

_He had trained for three years for battling the dark magic arts._

_It was like the Obliteration _**was**_ just a test, like he said, and he passed…and got his life returned._

_Maybe it _**was**_ just another test, as Chiro said…_

* * *

_**THE END!!**_

* * *

Well, there ya go. The end to Obliterate. I have to tell you, I got more reviews than I planned. _**Thank you all!!**_

Hoped you liked the story, and Thanks for the Memories. This story was out of the impulse to do something dark; darker than the Skeleton Prince stories, but still—those are better.

**Thank you to Matanzo El Mono, again, for letting me use Icire!**

**The next story is called **_**Darkness Consumes**_**, but I'm still debating on posting it. It takes place before all the Skeleton Prince stories, before Antauri died…the Skeleton King joins forces with the Prince!!!**

Maybe…………


End file.
